Holiday Turkey

Holiday Turkey

Ingredients

Ingredients

Course thyme
Course rosemary
Sage
Parsley
Paprika
Salt
Course pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Brown sugar
Star anise


Brine recipe

1 cup kosher salt diluted in warm water.
1 cup of bourbon
1 cup of maple syrup
Fresh thyme
Fresh rosemary


Basting & injection recipe

½ cup melted butter
½ cup bourbon
4 tablespoons maple syrup

 

Preparation

In the morning of the day before….Clean the Turkey very well and place in a container that you can submerse the turkey completely. I like to use one of those insulated plastic drink dispensers you see the football team members pouring ice cold water over the coach, they come with a lid. Mix up your brine in water starting with warm water to dilute the salt then add ice and cold water to it. Once it is cool down pour into the container with the bird. Continue to add water until the bird is completely submersed. Put the lid on and aggressively shake up the contents. Leave the bird for 24 hours.

Remove the bird and throw away the brine. Rinse the bird off in cold water or submerse in fresh cold water. Remove the bird and pat completely dry with a towel. Using a basting brush, cover the bird with your basting mixture inside and out. Then rub the seasoning on the inside of the bird and coat the outside with the same seasoning.

Preheat your BRADLEY RAVEN SMOKER to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. I like to us the BRADLEY SPECIAL BLEND BISQUETTES, but the apple, cherry, maple also work well. Put your bird in the smoker allowing for 6 hours for a bird up to 18 pounds to smoke and fully cook. I usually pull my bird out after it reaches 150 degrees and let it rest on the counter for up to a hour so give yourself extra time, say 11/2 hours. Note: It is best to start with the bird at or close to room temperature before you start the cooking/smoking process. Also put your basting mixture in the smoker next to the bird so you can bast the bird 2 to 4 times during the cooking process, you can also inject the mixture into the bird as you go along. The BRADLEY RAVEN SMOKER comes with some special feature you might want to try. First THE RAVEN has a very precision heating system to hold the temperature exactly where you want it. Use the meat probe included to keep track of your birds temperature, The smoker also has a feature that allows you to burn a BRADLEY SMOKING BISQUETTE once every 20, 30, or 40 minutes. This allows you a little precision in the smoke flavor without giving you that harsh acidic taste. Don’t ever worry about opening the door to check on your food being cooked. The BRADLEY RAVEN SMOKER will get up to temperature very soon and it is always making the best smoke possible.

Enjoy your holiday feast.