Easy Smoked Turkey Crown Recipes

EASY SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• Rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Combine savory, sage, salt, and black pepper in a bowl; rub half the herb mix inside the turkey's cavity and inside the neck cavity. Loosen turkey skin over breast and legs; rub remaining half of the herb mixture underneath the loosened skin. Rub olive oil over the entire turkey.
• Light 20 charcoal briquettes and place half of them on each side on the lower grate of a kettle charcoal grill. Place a drip pan or disposable aluminum baking pan in the middle of the lower grate and pour in water. When the coals are gray with ash, place a 2-inch square piece of hickory or other hardwood onto each bank of coals.
• Place turkey on the cooking grate and cover the grill. Monitor the heat with a grill thermometer to maintain temperature between 150 and 250 degrees F (65 to 120 degrees C); add 3 to 5 coals to each side about every 1 1/2 hours. If pieces of hardwood burn away, add more to keep a steady stream of smoke rising from the wood. If open flames erupt when you open the lid, douse them with a drizzle of water or beer.
• Smoke the turkey for 20 minutes per pound, about 4 hours; let the heat increase to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) during the last hour of smoking. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching a bone, should reach 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).

EASY SMOKED TURKEY CROWN

Steps:

• Up to two days ahead, mix the paprika, dried herbs and lots of ground pepper with 1 tbsp flaky sea salt. Season the turkey crown with half of the herby salt mixture, then cover. Mix the remaining herby salt mixture with the butter and chill.
• To cook, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Smear the herby butter all over the crown, working it under the skin. Sit the crown on a rack in a large roasting tin, skin-side up, and roast for 1 hr 30 mins, basting with the buttery juices every 30 mins until the skin is crisp and the turkey is cooked all the way through.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and set aside. Use a small sheet of foil to make an open package of the wood chips. Place the package in a dry frying pan and heat until smoking, then transfer to the roasting tin. Cover everything in a large tent of foil to trap the smoke and leave the turkey to rest for 20 mins before unwrapping and carving. Save the juices from the tin to make a smoky gravy.

EASY SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• 1st Day: Remove turkey from freezer.
• 2nd Day: Clean turkey and soak in marinade.
• 3rd Day: Start baking.
• While turkey is thawing out, prepare marinade. Add salt, tender quick and liquid smoke to a large, clean bucket. (A new mop-bucket or Rubbermaid container works well. DO NOT use metal!) Add water to bucket, and whisk well until granules are dissolved. Keep cool until turkey is ready.
• The turkey must soak in the brine, completely submerged, for 24-36 hours.
• When done marinating, rinse brine completely off under cold water. Dry completely with paper towels.
• Spread skin with salad oil, covering all lightly. (Do not use butter!) Place breast side down in large roasting pan; do not cover.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour, then at 250 degrees F for 12 hours, or one hour per pound for smaller bird.
• When done, cool 3-4 hours before cutting (it will be hard!), to let breast juices rest.