Thanksgiving Dinner on The Barbeque

Summer is the time to cook outdoors. The heat this past year has had me testing and expanding the use of the barbeque to include baking bread and pies. Why not continue the trend and roast a turkey on the barbecue? Fire up that BBQ to cook Thanksgiving dinner and keep the house cooler.

The thing about turkey is that by the time it’s cooked properly, it can become dry. The best defence to dry turkey is going on the offence with a wet brine to keep that bird moist while roasting on the barbeque. This process takes a bit of preplanning and requires an additional 24 hours in the brine, but the reward is worth it. This might be the best turkey your guests have ever had.

Regarding the barbecue process, this will be cooking using the indirect method. This means that the turkey roasting pan will be placed over an unlit burner and heated indirectly by one (or two) of the other burners. It is an ingenious method, really, and one that will help keep your house cool.

What You’ll Need:

• • • Cutting board
    • French knife
    • Mixing bowl (large enough to hold two turkey halves)
    • Plastic bag (large enough to hold turkey and brine)
    • Kitchen scale with the ability to measure, grams, cups and teaspoons
    • Suitable sized saucepans
    • Wooden spoon
    • Whisk
    • Spoon for basting, or turkey baster
    • Grill / BBQ preferrable a three-burner grill (We’ll cook the turkey over the centre burner––turned off. Alternatively, you can follow the same process using a smoker if you have one, set it for 275F.)
    • Instant thermometer (to check the internal temperature of cooked turkey)

Ingredients for Thanksgiving Turkey

The turkey: a fresh or thawed turkey (If using a frozen bird, thaw it in the fridge, a big bird may take two days so plan a head.)

Ingredients

The Brine:

• • • 2 tablespoons canola oil
    • 5 shallots peeled and sliced
    • 6 tablespoons coarse Kosher Salt
    • 1 medium onion peeled and sliced
    • 6 (or more) cloves of garlic peeled and smashed with the flat side of your knife
    • 6 stems of rosemary
    • 6 stems of thyme
    • 2 lemons, quartered, squeezed into the cooking water
    • Two litres of water (substitute one litre or 1,000 grams of ice to speed up the brine-cooling process.)

Add to the turkey roasting an on the BBQ:

• • • 1 onion quartered (skin on is fine)
    • 1 large carrot cut in chunks
    • 3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
    • 2 cups of celery leaves
    • 1 sprig of rosemary
    • 1 sprig of thyme
    • 2 cups (and likely more) of water to keep the roasting pan from burning

Gravy:

• • • Juice from the turkey pan
    • 1/4 White wine
    • 1/4 Heavy cream
    • 2 tablespoons of butter or turkey fat
    • 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

Making the Brine and Roasting the Turkey

1. 1. 1. Thaw the frozen turkey or purchase a fresh one so it is ready for the brine the day before cooking.
      2. You should cut the bird in half if the whole bird will not fit on your barbecue. To do this slide, a large French or chef’s knife should be inside the turkey’s cavity along either side of the backbone. Cut through the ribs and remove the backbone. Once the backbone is removed, whack the bottom of the breastbone in half from the inside, then cut the bird in two. (Or have your butcher do this for you––even a frozen turkey can be cut in half by your butcher.)
      3. The day before dinner, mix up the brine: in a large saucepan heat the oil over medium high and sauté the onions until they start to get translucent, add the salt and the garlic, stir and fry another minute.
      4. Add the rosemary, thyme and squeezed lemon quarters and cook, stirring for another minute.
      5. Add one litre of water and bring to a simmer.
      6. Simmer two minutes, stirring to dissolve the salt.
      7. Remove from the heat.
      8. Add a litre of cold water or 1,000 grams of ice to kick-start the cooling process.
      9. Once the brine is chilled, put the turkey in a large bag placed in a bowl large enough to fit the turkey. The turkey should remain fully covered in brine. If not, turn the turkey every six hours or so, to make sure the bird is evenly brined.
      10. The day of the dinner, preheat the barbeque to 350-375 F. Cut the celery, onions and carrots, add the rosemary, thyme and two cups of water to the roasting pay.
      11. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan.
      12. Place on the barbecue in such a way as not to be over direct heat.
      13. Baste the turkey every 20-30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh and breast read 170 F. The roasting time will be at least a couple of hours, but let the thermometer determine when it is done.
      14. Remove the turkey, drape with foil and let rest while you make gravy. The temperature should come up to 180F.

To Make the Gravy

1. 1. 1. Drain the juices from the roasting pan and reserve.
      2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter or turkey fat in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
      3. Add three tablespoons of flour and stir to make a thick paste (roux) and cook three minutes.
      4. Whisk in the turkey drippings, wine and cream.
      5. Bring to a rolling boil for a minute or two and simmer a few minutes, whisking constantly.

Now, slice the turkey and serve with the sides of your choice. Celebrate a cool house or RV and dig into what might be the moistest turkey you have ever served.

Happy Thanksgiving!