Grilled Turkey with Cranberry Gravy
- 1 cup wood chips (preferably apple, cherry, or hickory) if desired
- a 12- to 14- pound turkey, neck and giblets (excluding liver) reserved for making gravy
- 2 to 3 lemons, halved
- fresh herb sprigs such as sage, parsley, and thyme
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup water
- a 12-ounce bag fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries, picked over
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups turkey giblet stock or chicken broth
- Garnish: fresh lemon halves and/or slices and fresh thyme and flat-leafed parsley sprigs
- Garnish: fresh lemon halves and/or slices and fresh thyme and flat-leafed parsley sprigs
- Soak wood chips in water to cover 30 minutes and drain well.
- Rinse turkey and pat dry inside and out.
- Season turkey inside and out with salt and pepper and pack neck cavity loosely with some lemon halves and herbs.
- Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a skewer.
- Fill body cavity loosely with some lemon halves and herbes.
- Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a skewer.
- Fill body cavity loosely with remaining lemon halves and herbs and truss turkey.
- Put an oiled rack inside a metal roasting pan that will fit inside grill.
- Spread turkey with butter and put on rack in pan.
- Add water to pan.
- Prepare grill:
- Open vents in lid and Bottom of grill and put 25 briquettes on 2 opposite sides of bottom, leaving middle clear.
- Position rack with wider openings over briquettes and light briquettes.
- (They will be ready for cooking as soon as they turn grayish-white in color, 20 to 30 minutes.)
- Shake excess water off wood chips and put evenly on top of briquettes.
- When chips begin to smoke, in about 2 minutes, the grill is ready.
- Grill turkey on rack in pan in grill, covered, over glowing coals 1 hour.
- (Do not remove lid during cooking.)
- Remove lid and add 10 more briquettes on each side.
- Grill turkey, covered, 1 hour more.
- Remove lid and add 10 more briquettes on each side.
- Grill turkey 1 hour more and insert a meat thermometer in fleshy part of a thigh.
- If thermometer registers 180:F. and juices run clear when thigh is pierced, turkey is done.
- If turkey is not done, add 10 more briquettes on each side and test for doneness in same manner every 15 minutes.
- Transfer turkey to a heated platter, reserving juices in pan, and discard string.
- Keep turkey warm, covered loosely with foil.
- In a saucepan cook cranberries and sugar over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is melted and cranberries burst.
- In a blender in batches puree cranberry mixture until smooth, transferring to a bowl.
- Cranberry mixture may be make 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
- Bring mixture to room temperature before proceeding.
- Skim fat from pan juices, reserving 3 tablespoons fat, and deglaze pan with water over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits.
- Simmer pan juices 3 minutes, stirring, and reserve off heat.
- In a saucepan whisk together reserved fat and flour and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes.
- Add pan juices and stock or broth in a stream and add cranberry mixture, whisking occasionally.
- Boil gravy, whisking occasionally, until reduced to about 5 cups, 15 to 20 minutes, and strain through a sieve into a saucepan.
- Season gravy with salt and pepper and keep warm.
- Discard lemon halves and herbs from turkey cavities.
- Garnish turkey with lemon halves and/or slices and herbs.
wood chips, turkey, lemons, fresh herb sprigs, unsalted butter, water, cranberries, sugar, water, allpurpose, turkey giblet stock, thyme, thyme
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-turkey-with-cranberry-gravy-10784 (may not work)