2019-11-01 Food & Wine USA

120 NOVEMBER 2019

Simple Smoked Turkey

PHOTO P. 115

ACTIVE 1 HR; TOTAL 5 HR 15 MIN,

PLUS 12 HR BRINING; SERVES 8 TO 12

Smoking a turkey yields juicy and tender

meat. The keys to success are seasoning

the bird with a dead-simple saltwater

brine, then controlling the temperature of

the smoker for even cooking. The added

bonus of smoking the Thanksgiving tur-

key? It frees up the oven for sides and

pies. For instructions on how to prepare

this recipe on a kettle grill, visit foodand

wine.com/smoked-turkey-setup.

2 gal. filtered water, divided

11 / 2 cups plus 1 tsp. fine sea salt (such

as Morton), divided

1 (12- to 16-lb.) fresh or thawed

frozen whole natural turkey, giblets

removed

1 large yellow onion, quartered

2 garlic heads, halved

2 small lemons, halved

3 sage sprigs

1 Tbsp. olive oil

(^1) / 2 cup apple cider vinegar

1. Combine^1 / 2 gallon water and 1^1 / 2 cups
   salt in a large saucepan. Cook over
   medium, whisking constantly, until salt
   dissolves, about 3 minutes. Pour mixture
   into a very large stockpot or other large
   container; add remaining 1^1 / 2 gallons
   water. Place turkey in brine. Place a plate
   upside down on top of turkey to submerge
   completely. Cover; refrigerate 12 hours.


2. Remove turkey from brine; discard
   brine. Pat turkey dry with paper towels,

including cavity. Let stand 1 hour at room

temperature. Stuff cavity with onion, gar-

lic, lemons, and sage. Rub oil over turkey

breasts and legs. Sprinkle with remaining 1

teaspoon salt. Tie legs together with

kitchen twine; tuck wing tips under.

3. Open vent of smoker completely. Pre-
   pare a charcoal fire in smoker according to
   manufacturer’s instructions, and push
   coals to one side. Bring internal tempera-
   ture to 300°F to 325°F; maintain tempera-
   ture 15 to 20 minutes. Place 4 cups soaked
   applewood chips on coals. Position grate in
   smoker, and place turkey, breast side up,
   over side without coals. (Legs should be
   pointing toward coals.) Smoke turkey, cov-
   ered with smoker lid, maintaining tempera-
   ture inside smoker between 300°F and
   325°F and brushing with vinegar every 45
   minutes, until a thermometer inserted into
   thickest part of breast registers 155°F, 12 to
   15 minutes per pound, approximately 2
   hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours. Transfer
   turkey to a cutting board; let rest 30 min-
   utes. Carve turkey, and serve.
   WINE Elegant, structured Cabernet Franc:
   2016 Two Wolves

Red Wine Gravy

ACTIVE 30 MIN; TOTAL 4 HR

MAKES ABOUT 5 CUPS

Roasted turkey necks and a store-bought

smoked turkey drumstick add body and

depth to this rich gravy. Choose a good-

quality Cabernet Sauvignon; the flavor will

concentrate as the wine reduces.

4 lb. fresh turkey necks, rinsed and

patted dry

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon wine

(preferably from Santa Barbara)

1 (12-oz.) smoked turkey drumstick

1 large garlic head, halved

2 fresh bay leaves

1 Tbsp. black peppercorns

4 thyme sprigs

5 parsley sprigs

3 qt. turkey or chicken broth

(^1) / 3 cup unsalted butter (2 (^2) / 3 oz.)
(^1) / (^3) cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
(about 1^5 / 8 oz.)
(^1) / (^2) tsp. kosher salt
(^1) / 2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 rosemary sprig

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss together
   turkey necks, onion, celery, carrots, and oil

in a large bowl. Spread in a single layer on

2 rimmed baking sheets. Roast in pre-

heated oven until browned, 1 hour to 1

hour and 15 minutes, turning once half-

way through roasting.

2. Place roasted turkey necks and vegeta-
   bles in a stockpot. Divide wine evenly
   between hot baking sheets, stirring and
   scraping up browned bits with a wooden
   spoon; add wine mixture to stockpot. Add
   drumstick, garlic, bay leaves, pepper-
   corns, thyme, parsley, and broth. Bring to
   a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-
   low, and simmer, skimming and discard-
   ing foam from top as needed, until
   reduced to about 6 cups, 1 hour and 45
   minutes to 2 hours. Pour mixture through
   a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large
   heatproof bowl; discard solids. Let stand
   10 minutes; skim off and discard fat.


3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over
   medium. Add flour; cook, whisking often,
   until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
   Gradually pour in hot stock mixture,
   whisking constantly, until smooth. Bring
   to a simmer over medium. Simmer, whisk-
   ing often, until mixture thickens, about 15
   minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Hold
   rosemary sprig at 1 end, and swirl in gravy
   until it imparts a subtle herb flavor.
   MAKE AHEAD Gravy can be made through
   step 2 and refrigerated up to 2 days in
   advance.
   NOTE Look for smoked turkey drumsticks
   refrigerated at the grocery store near the
   bacon or at your butcher.

Shaved Celery and Fennel Salad

with Pickled Grapes

TOTAL 40 MIN, PLUS 4 HR REFRIGERATION

SERVES 8

Pickled grapes provide a sweet-sour gar-

nish in this fresh and crunchy salad, and

the bed of goat cheese captures tiny

pools of the dressing, providing a tart and

creamy contrast.

2 cups seeded wine grapes or sweet

table grapes

1 cup muscat vinegar (such as

Delouis Fils) or sherry vinegar

(^1) / 4 cup granulated sugar
31 / 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 bunches celery hearts
2 fennel bulbs, fronds reserved
(^1) / 2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon zest plus^1 / 4 cup fresh
lemon juice (from 2 lemons),
divided
1 tsp. honey
(^1) / 2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 (8-oz.) goat cheese log, softened
The Menu
RECIPES BY
Alecia Moore &
Robbie Graham-Wise
Simple Smoked Turkey
with Red Wine Gravy
Shaved Celery and Fennel Salad
with Pickled Grapes
Creamed Corn Grits
Wild Rice with Mushrooms,
Cranberries, and Chestnuts
Red Cabbage Salad with Baked
Cherries, Apples, and Almond Dukkah
Sweet Potato Pie with Honeycrisp-
Kabocha Salad and Licorice Ice Cream

COOK

THE

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