Wine - Yet another Mad Max thread

Boilermaker Ben · November 2009

It seems to me that adding wine to the roasting pan would amount to steaming the bird for the first part of the cook. I'd like to hear other members' opinions on the matter.

Couldn't the wine be used to deglaze the pan after the cook, and then reduced, to achieve the same effect without introducing steam into the egg during the cook? Or is there something I'm missing here?

Also, this is the second recipe that I've seen that calls for dumping the wine over the meat. The first recipe was the leg of lamb roast that I did for easter, but the rub on that roast was not mostly butter, and the wine shower was after the leg was seared. I don't see the purpose in this case. If we've coated the bird with butter, the wine is just going to run over the fat, and not really get onto the bird anyway, isn't it?

I hope this doesn't come across as overly critical of the Mad Max method. It's just a couple minor details. I'm very thankful (good season for it) for Max and his detailed instructions on the Whiz's site, and his helpful, patient advice here on the forum. This will be my first thanksgiving at our house, and my first turkey. I'm glad to have him make it so easy for us.

Just ordered my locally-raised turkey yesterday.

Richard Fl · November 2009

I use a few cups of white wine when doing the turkey. Have a drip pan with a cup or 2 of water and then pour the wine over the bird and into the cavity which has celery, apple, lemon wedges, carrots and onion. Have the drip pan raised off the plate setter, legs up with copper elbows. Use the drippings to baste. Toss the giblets into the pan the last hour or so. Makes a fine gravy with giblets.

fishlessman · November 2009

the wine sitting in the cavity and basted with the melted butter back onto the bird adds flavor. i think if you just used it at the end the flavor may be too strong for a simple turkey gravy. now if your into purple gravy, use red wine :laugh: some may omit the wine and the gravy is still good, you wont get as much and the gravey has a lighter taste, i do this with stuffed birds and there is sausage in the suffing that adds flavor to the gravy

Boilermaker Ben · November 2009

Does the wine have an effect on the skin? I thought the idea behind basting was to pour the hot rendered fat from the pan over the skin to crisp it up.

fishlessman · November 2009

i dont think it effects the skin much but it does refill the cavity when your basting and all the stuff in the cavity mingles with it

mad max beyond eggdome · November 2009

i guess the half bottle of wine probably adds a certain amount of steam to the bird, but i think its probably a good thing ....what it also does though, in mixing with the butter and natural juices from the bird is provide a great basting mixture as well, and provides enough juice in the bottom of the pan to keep the drippings from burning. ..so i think the benefits outweigh any negatives from the little bit of steam being created ....

and i agree, that while initially pouring the wine all over the bird doesn't necessarilly add anything as it just runs off into the pan, i do make sure some of it gets into the cavity to mix with the onion/apple/lemon/herbs that are in there. . .adds to the aromatics makes the steam work inside the cavity and add flavor for sure ...(at least that's my story and i'm sticking with it

)

and don't worry about being too critical. ..thats what the discussion is here for!! . ..

Mickey · November 2009

Max you are so correct: You posted “and don't worry about being too critical. ..thats what the discussion is here for!! . ..”
We forget that critical discussion is good.
Personal spiteful discussion is bad.

Wine - Yet another Mad Max thread

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