Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

*Ping* Mad Max: Gravy

Options
Egg And I
Egg And I Posts: 110
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
My turkey recipe, refined over more years than I care to think about, is pretty similar to yours with two exceptions: The iced breast (which I plan to steal, brilliant idea...if the Washington Post can steal it, so can I!), and the fat in the gravy.

I use the fat from the drip pan; you use butter and (presumably) discard the fat from the bird. Out of curiosity, why?
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
    Options
    hey, i have to run out for a few hours, i'll respond when i get back. . . stay tuned. .. :)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
    Options
    i use butter for the gravy and discard the fat from the dripping for no better reason than it is the way i was taught by my mom and my wife's aunt oh so many years ago. ...

    my gravy technique, if you are an experienced cook you can see, is a very basic, but classic, way of making gravy. .. it is also foolproof and has great results, and provided confidence in those who are otherwise afraid of the gravy making process. .. .but it is by no means the only way of making gravy. .. .you can certainly use the fat instead of butter, or use a combination of the two. .. .likewise, if you don't like the flavor that the white wine adds, you can skip that step, as well as skipping the adding of the meat at the end. ...some folks (my mom for one) like to add some worchesteshire sauce at the end instead of simply adding salt. .. .so there are a lot different modifications you can make to it with great results. ..its all good :)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,518
    Options
    hey max, i tried your method for my first and only turkey cook. remember you helped me out when i had trouble applying the butter paste and the breast browning too soon? thanks again. next time i'll melt the butter, ice the breast longer and cover it with foil in the first couple of hours. btw, the gravy was so good one of my kids used it as salad dressing! however, i'll add less liver to the gravy.
    canuckland
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
    Options
    i remember quite well. . ..glad it all turned out good. .. sure, give the liver to the dog if you want. ..make enough gravy to make a pot pie on friday night with the leftovers. ..just use one of those pillsbury rolled out pie crusts, some cut up turkey, and a package of stouffers stuffing. ...take some of the gravy, add in some half-and-half, mix it all together, put it in the crust in a pie pan, top with the second crust and bake for an hour at 350 . ..serve it with some more gravy over the top. ..best pot pie you ever ate!!!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,518
    Options
    thanks, i've bookmarked the pot pie recipe. btw, i'm not cooking turkey this week, our thanksgiving was last month ;) happy thanksgiving to you and all our friends down south (except Beli?).
    canuckland
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Egg And I
    Egg And I Posts: 110
    Options
    Great answer, Max...you're absolutely right, if it tastes good, it IS good, and there are more than one paths to a great result!

    I like the pan drippings fat in the roux as I think it adds turkey flavor. If there isn't enough, I'll extend it with butter.

    I also make the roux in a separate pot, and I brown it a bit (about peanut butter color). I deglaze the drippings pan with white wine and add that, the "crud" as you call it, and stock to the roux.

    By the way, a good rule of thumb for the roux is 50-50 fat and flour by volume, and 4x that total volume of liquids or a bit more or less depending on how thick you like your gravy....one cup* of roux made up of 1/2 cup fat and 1/2 cup flour will make about a quart of gravy. If you want to be real precise and like more or less fat in the gravy, figure you need 1 part flour by volume for every 8 parts finished gravy and use as much or little (up to a point...gotta dissolve all the flour or you get lumps) fat as you want.

    * (Don't measure the roux...it's actually quite a bit less than a cup when combined but the numbers work out for estimating yield).
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories