Cranberry Orange Brined Smoked Turkey Recipes

CRANBERRY GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Remove giblets and neck from turkey and rinse inside and out with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels; set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine softened butter, 1 tablespoon fine herbs, crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons marmalade and onion flakes. Use a fork to mix together until well combined.
• In a small bowl combine poultry seasoning, 1 tablespoon fine herbs, salt and pepper.
• Use your hand to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird. Work half of the butter mixture under the skin of the entire turkey. Rub the remaining butter on the outside of the skin and season with the poultry seasoning mixture inside and out. Stuff the inside of the turkey cavity with oranges and leeks. (Truss if desired.) Add any leftover oranges and leeks to a shallow roasting pan; pour in broth and set aside. Insert a pop-up thermometer at an angle about 3-inches down from the neck cavity and 2-inches from the breastbone, in the thickest part of the breast. Place turkey breast side up on a rack over the vegetables in the roasting pan. Place in oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Combine orange juice, remaining marmalade, jellied cranberries, and remaining fine herbs in a small saucepan and simmer until jelly melts. Continue simmering until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes; keep warm.
• After the turkey has cooked for 2 hours brush on the glaze mixture. When the thermometer pops up or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 180 degrees F, about 3 hours total.
• Remove from oven and let turkey rest 15 minutes before carving.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Combine garlic powder, salt and pepper. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from turkey breast; spread half of the seasoning mixture under the skin. Sprinkle skin with remaining mixture. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together., Juice the orange, reserving the rind. In a large bowl, mix cranberry sauce, teriyaki sauce, honey, marmalade, soy sauce and orange juice. Remove 3-1/2 cups mixture for sauce; refrigerate, covered, until serving., Rub remaining cranberry mixture under turkey skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks. Place herb sprigs and reserved orange rind in turkey cavity., Arrange onions in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Place turkey over onions. Roast 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.), Remove turkey from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. Discard herb sprigs and orange rind. Place reserved sauce in a small saucepan; heat through. Serve with turkey.

ORANGE TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Combine the orange juice concentrate, orange slices, lemon slices, lime slices, thyme, pepper, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water in a large stockpot; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Wash and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator. Allow turkey to marinate 1 to 2 days before cooking. Remove the turkey carefully. Drain and discard the excess brine and pat dry.
• Cook the turkey as desired reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 1-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, orange peel, orange juice and cranberry sauce to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Cool completely. Set aside 1/2 cup cranberry mixture for basting; refrigerate remaining cranberry mixture for serving.
• Fold wings across back of turkey so tips are touching. Tie legs together with heavy string. On rack in shallow roasting pan, place turkey, breast side up. Brush butter over turkey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh and does not touch bone.
• Roast uncovered 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, basting with 1/2 cup cranberry mixture after 2 hours. Turkey is done when thermometer reads at least 165°F and legs move easily when lifted or twisted. Place turkey on warm platter; cover with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving. Serve with reserved cranberry mixture. Garnish with herbs, cranberries and kumquats.

SALTY AND SWEET CRANBERRY CITRUS BRINE

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, mix together the kosher salt, orange juice concentrate, cranberry juice concentrate, water, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon wedges, orange wedges, onion wedges, garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme, and black pepper; stir until the salt and brown sugar have dissolved. To use, place a whole turkey into the brine, cover, and refrigerate 14 to 16 hours before roasting. Discard used brine.

HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.
• Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.
• Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or on the metal bar over the gas flame. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, after 1 hour, replace wood chips with second cup.
• Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.

TURKEY WITH CRANBERRY BRINE

Steps:

• 24 hours in advance, wash the turkey and remove the neck and giblets from the cavity and neck; reserve for broth.
• Mix together in a large pot 1 of the onions, 2 stalks celery, 2 carrots, 6 garlic cloves, peppercorns, 3 sprigs each of the rosemary, thyme and sage, 6 sprigs of the parsley, kosher salt and the cranberry juice; heat and stir until the salt dissolves and mixture begins to simmer; remove and let cool to room temperature.
• Place turkey in a very large pot or turkey bucket and pour brine over to submerge, adding cold water if needed; refrigerate 24 hours.
• Remove turkey from brine and rinse well; dry with paper towels. (It will be a lovely shade of pink but don't worry, it roasts a beautiful mahogany color).
• Season turkey cavity with salt and pepper.
• Place 2 stalks chopped celery, 2 chopped carrots, apple, orange, cranberries, and 4 garlic cloves inside cavity.
• Make a nest of 1 med chopped onion, 1 chopped celery stalk, 1 chopped carrot, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 3 sprigs each rosemary, thyme and sage, 6 sprigs parsley and 3 bay leaves in a large roasting pan.
• Place turkey on top of the vegetables and herbs.
• Put butter pats on the turkey or between the skin and breast meat.
• Roast in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 45 minutes.
• While turkey roasts the first 45 minutes, prepare a broth by placing the giblets in 5 cups of water; simmer to create turkey stock adding more water as needed; remove giblets. (You can chop the giblets and remove the meat from the neck and add it to your stuffing or discard it if you don't wish to use it. You can skip the turkey stock step and use canned chicken stock if desired. You will need 5 cups).
• After the first 45 minutes of roast time, pour half of the stock over the turkey; roast another 45 minutes and pour the remaining stock over the turkey.
• Continue to roast your turkey; basting with the juices from the bottom of the pan until the turkey has reached an internal temperature of 165 to 175°F (74 to 80°C).
• Remove from the oven and tent with foil; allow to rest for 10 or 15 minutes before carving.
• Strain and use the liquid in the bottom of your roasting pan to make gravy and to moisten your stuffing if desired.
• Simple gravy:.
• Discard herbs from the bottom of the roasting pan and measure out 1 cup of the vegetables and 3 cups of the juices; puree in a blender. To thicken, add more vegetables, to thin, add more pan juice. Pour through a mesh strainer to make a smooth gravy.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE BRINED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE BRINE: In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine the brine ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for about 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Add about 4 cups ice cubes and allow the brine to cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pop-up timer, as well as the neck, giblets, and any excess fat from the turkey and discard. Rinse the turkey, inside and out, under cold water, drain, and place in a 5-gallon bucket or other container large enough to hold it easily (see REFERANCE & APPENDIX, _Turkey On The Grill: Have You Tried It Yet?). Pour the cooled brine over the turkey. If necessary, place a heavy weight on the turkey to keep it completely submerged. Cover the container with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 24 hours. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Truss the turkey with cotton string (see REFERANCE & APPENDIX, _Trussing: All Tied Up). Pin the neck skin flap to the body with two or three small trussing needles. Place the turkey on a roast holder set inside a heavy-gauge aluminum foil pan and lightly brush or spray with canola oil. Follow the grill's instructions for using wood chunks. Grill the turkey over Indirect Medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 170°F in the breast and 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh, 2 1/4 to 3 hours. After about 45 minutes, when the wings and drumsticks are golden brown, wrap them with aluminum foil to prevent them from burning. When the breast is golden brown, loosely cover it with foil. When fully cooked, transfer the turkey to a cutting board or platter, loosely cover the whole bird with foil, and allow to rest for about 20 minutes before carving.From Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.