Brown Sugar and Hickory Grilled Turkey

Brown Sugar and Hickory Grilled Turkey

Makes: 8 to 10 servings

Prep time: 30 minutes

Brine time: 3 to 6 hours

Cook time: 1 hour

1 whole (10 to 12 pounds) turkey

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup salt

3 cloves garlic, crushed

4 or 5 bay leaves

Brown sugar rub (see recipe)

1 small navel orange, cut into 8 pieces

1 small onion, diced

1 small apple, cored, cut into 8 pieces

Handful of mixed fresh herbs, such as parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

2 cups hickory wood chips

Fresh sage leaves, for garnish

Turkey gravy (see recipe)

1. Rinse turkey and remove the giblet and neck packet from the interior. Set the neck and giblets into a saucepan. (Reserve the liver for another use.) Cover with 6 cups water and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, checking water level, to make a light turkey broth. Strain and save broth in the refrigerator for up to several days.

2. Put 3 quarts water, sugar, salt, garlic and bay leaves into a deep, large soup pot or container. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Put the turkey in the brine; add more water as needed so it’s completely immersed. Refrigerate 6 to 24 hours. Remove turkey from brine. Discard the brine.

3. Pat turkey dry. Rub the insides of the cavities with some of the brown sugar rub. Stuff some of the orange, onion and apple pieces and herbs into each cavity. Use wooden picks to pull the skin over the neck cavity to hold in the aromatics. Set the turkey in a pan, breast-side down. Rub the back with the rub. Flip over the bird and rub the breast side, wings and legs generously with the rub. Rubbed turkey can be refrigerated up to several hours.

4. Soak wood chips in water to cover for at least 30 minutes. Heat a gas grill to medium-high or light a charcoal fire and let it burn just until the coals are covered with gray ash and very hot. Turn off the heat in the center of the gas grill or set up the charcoal grill for indirect cooking by banking all the coals to the sides, leaving the center empty. Add a drip pan to the bottom of the grill to capture any drippings.

5. Put the turkey in the center of the grill (not directly over the heat source). Cover the grill to maintain a steady 325-degree temperature. (You can use an oven thermometer as a guide.) Cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees in the thigh and the juices run clear, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Replenish coals as needed if cooking on charcoal.

6. Let turkey rest on cutting board for 10 to 20 minutes. The temperature will rise about 10 degrees. Use a spoon to remove and discard the aromatics from the turkey cavities. Then carve off the legs, then the wings, then finally the breast halves. Cut the legs at the thigh and drumstick joint. Slice the breast crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Serve garnished with fresh sage and turkey gravy.

BROWN SUGAR RUB

Makes: About 2/3 cup

1. Mix 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 tablespoon each: salt, chili powder, instant coffee powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons each: ground cumin, oregano; and 1 teaspoon each: dry mustard, smoked paprika in a small bowl.

Turkey gravy

Makes: About 4 cups

2 tablespoons butter

2 or 3 large shallots, finely chopped

2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup dry red wine

4 cups turkey broth

1/3 cup flour

1 tablespoon each: Worcestershire sauce, gravy darkener

Salt, freshly ground black pepper

Turkey pan drippings from grill, optional

1. Melt butter in medium-size saucepan. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Add wine and boil until reduced by half. Stir in 3 cups of the turkey broth and simmer a few minutes.

2. Mix flour and remaining 1 cup broth in small bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk this mixture into saucepan. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and boiling, 5 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, gravy darkener, salt and pepper to taste. If desired, stir in a couple of spoonfuls of turkey pan juices. Serve hot.