Sage and Thyme Smoked Turkey

Name: Sage and Thyme Smoked Turkey
Prep time: 6 h 30 min
Cook time: 6 h 30 min
Total time: 6 h 30 min
Yield: 14
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 6 larges garlic cloves, smashed; 315 milliliters kosher salt; 158 milliliters packed light brown sugar; 2 Tbsps olive oil; 2 teaspoons peppercorns; 20 larges sage sprigs (6 in. long), divided; 59 milliliters finely chopped shallots; 4 or 6 fist-size applewood chunks* (use 4 for an 18.5-in. smoker, 6 for a 22.5-in.); 20 larges thyme sprigs (6 in. long), divided; 6 kilograms turkey; 118 milliliters unsalted butter, at room temperature

Sage and Thyme Smoked Turkey might be just the main course you are searching for. This recipe covers 31% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. Watching your figure? This gluten free recipe has 576 calories, 70g of protein, and 27g of fat per serving. This recipe serves 14. Head to the store and pick up turkey, butter, shallots, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the olive oil you could follow this main course with the Sauteed Banana, Granolan and Yogurt Parfait as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes around 6 hours and 30 minutes.

Instructions

Make brine: In a stockpot, heat 1 qt. water with salt and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve.

Ingredients you will need

Brown Sugar

Brine

Water

Salt

Equipment you will use

Pot

Remove from heat, add 6 qts. cold water, the garlic, peppercorns, and half the sage and thyme.

Ingredients you will need

Peppercorns

Garlic

Thyme

Water

Sage

Let cool to room temperature.

Discard leg truss from turkey.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Remove neck, tail, and giblets from cavities and save for gravy if you like. Pull off and discard lumps of fat. Rinse bird inside and out. Set turkey in an oversize pot, such as a boiling water canner*, and add brine. Chill, covered, 8 to 12 hours.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Brine

Gravy

Water

Equipment you will use

Pot

Soak wood chunks in a bowl of water until ready to use (at least 45 minutes), with a plate on top to submerge them. Meanwhile, drain turkey, rinse, and pat dry. Set on a rack on a rimmed baking sheet to dry skin a bit.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Water

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Bowl

Chop leaves from remaining thyme. Chop enough of remaining sage to make 3 tbsp. In a food processor, whirl butter, chopped herbs, and shallots until smooth.

Ingredients you will need

Shallot

Butter

Herbs

Thyme

Sage

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

Slide your fingers between skin and flesh of turkey, turning bird, to make pockets of space on the breast, back, and leg areas. Using your hands, slide about 1 tbsp. herb butter at a time under skin in all the pockets. Stuff main turkey cavities with remaining sage sprigs and skewer closed. Tuck wing tips under turkey. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest part of breast, touching the bone. Rub turkey with oil.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Whole Turkey

Bone

Meat

Sage

Cooking Oil

Dry Seasoning Rub

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Skewers

Ignite fire: Referring to manual, open vents and take smoker apart. On firegrate, fill charcoal chamber with charcoal so it's slightly mounded. Distribute paraffin cubes among briquets and ignite.

Let burn until coals are just coated with ash, 25 to 30 minutes. Set water pan, then middle section of smoker in place. Protecting hands, pour hot tap water into water pan until it's nearly full.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Put top cooking rack in place and position turkey with breast up. Cover with lid and close vents halfway.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Using tongs, add 2 soaked wood chunks through smoker door to coals now and after 1 hour; for a 5-in. smoker, add last 2 chunks an hour later. Check water levels and temp every so often, keeping the smoker mostly closed so heat and smoke don't escape.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Tongs

Add hot water as needed to keep the pan about half full. The smoker's temp should read 200 to 250; if needed, raise or lower by adjusting vents (leave a vent at least half-open on lid and at bottom of smoker to keep fire going). Smoke until meat thermometer registers 165 to 170, 4 1/2 to 5 hours total.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Meat

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Frying Pan

Transfer turkey to a platter and tent with foil.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Aluminum Foil

Let rest in a warm place 15 to 30 minutes, then carve.

*Find applewood chunks with grilling supplies and at bbqislandinc.com. If pot won't fit in fridge, use an ice chest: Set bird in a turkey brining bag (buy in grocery stores or at williams-sonoma.com). Put bag in chest, pour brine over turkey, and seal bag tightly; add ice to cover.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Brine

Ice