Mad Max Turkey Cliff's Notes

I'm cooking the Mad Max Turkey tomorrow and figured that it would be a good ideas to summarize the method to print out and keep handy for the cook.

Here are my cliff's notes. I think I got it all, but if anyone sees any omissions or errors, I'm all ears.

Mad Max Turkey Cliff's Notes

1. Calculate approximate cooking time for bird:

Our bird is 18 pounds, calculating 12-15 minutes per pound, it should take between 3 hrs 36 mins and 4 hrs 30 mins. Add a little time for Gravy prep and it looks more like 4 to 5 hours. If we want to eat between 4 and 5, Egg needs to be stabilized between 325º and 350º at noon. This lets me tune in to the likely massacre of the Detroit Lions by the Green Bay Packers while doing basting duty.

2. Get the stock going first thing in the morning. Big stock pot with neck, heart, giblet, one onion (halved), a couple stalks of celery, a couple carrots, fresh herbs: tarragon, sage and thyme. I'm adding a few crushed cloves of garlic. Fill to the top with water and simmer all day long.

3. Set out two sticks of butter to soften for the butter-herb paste.

4. Fire the egg at 11:00.

5. Prep tom turkey for the egg while stabilizing temperature. Salt and Pepper the cavity, liberally, and stuff with a halved onion, quartered lemon, fresh herbs and garlic. Make butter-herb paste with the two sticks of butter and chopped herbs. Put the bird on v-rack in roasting pan and quarter an apple, throwing the pieces directly in pan around bird.

6. 11:40 Ice the breast with one gallon ziplock filled with ice and salt.

7. 12:00 H Hour. Rub the butter-herb paste all over the bird and pour half a bottle of decent white all over the turkey, making sure to get some into the cavity.

8. Add smoking wood to the lump (Trying Cherry, as I'm fresh out of apple) and put the roasting pan in the egg on top of platesetter, legs up on BGE feet and or one inch copper elbows.

9. After first hour, baste every 20 or 30 minutes and cook until target temps are reached. 160º breast and 180º thighs.

10. Pull bird to cutting board tipping to let all juices run from the cavity into the pan and tent with foil.

11. Pour drippings into measuring cup or gravy separator and separate the fat.

12. Roasting pan back on heat with two sticks of butter, whisking to free the fond. Add flour (1/2 to 1 cup), whisking constantly to make smooth roux.

13. Add saved half bottle of wine to roux and keep whisking while alcohol burns off and reduce about 1/4 to 1/3.

14. Add in the drippings and keep whisking.

15. Keep whisking and add stock with a ladel and bring to a boil. Add stock until desired consistency.

16. Chop up the neck and giblets, finely and add to the gravy. If necessary, add some flour and stock to another bowl and whisk to create additional thickening agent. Salt and pepper to taste.

17. Carve bird and chow down.