Grilled Turkey

Part of the Grilled Turkey Feast by Jane Rodmell

Ingredients:
12–16 lb turkey (5.5–7 kg)
1 lemon, halved
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1/2 cup Lemon Rosemary Marinade (125 ml)

Seasonings for breast cavity:
2 lemons, quartered
2 shallots or 1 small
onion, peeled and halved
1 head garlic, papery outside skin removed and tips cut off about
1/4″ (6 mm) from the top
2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 tsp (10 ml) dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
Marsala Mushroom Gravy

Preparation

1. Remove excess fat from around the body cavities of the turkey. Pull out the giblets from the breast cavity. (If you haven’t made stock for the gravy ahead of time, use the giblets to make a shortcut stock). Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water or wipe thoroughly with a clean, wet towel, then pat dry. Rub inside and out with the cut lemon, season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate while you prepare the marinade and the seasonings for the breast cavity. (Remember to wash utensils, dishes, and surfaces thoroughly with hot soapy water after preparing raw poultry.)
2. Rub turkey all over with marinade and brush a little in the neck and breast cavities. Tuck loose neck skin beneath the bird and secure with a metal skewer. Place seasonings in breast cavity. (The stuffing should be cooked separately.) The turkey will be easier to handle if you truss the limbs to the body with cotton string. The prepared turkey may be placed in a roasting pan, loosely covered with plastic wrap, and left in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours.
3. Remove turkey from refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Prepare the barbecue for indirect grilling (see Grilling Technique for Large Birds) and lightly oil the grill. When the barbecue is ready, place turkey directly on the grill over a drip pan and cover. Monitor the cooking temperature and add more coals or adjust the gas as required. Cook until done when tested, 2–21/2 hours. Juices should run clear and the internal temperature registered by an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh should read 170°F (77°C). (See Cooking Times and Tips.)
4. Remove turkey from grill to a warm platter and let stand, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for at least 15–20 minutes before carving. Discard the seasonings from the breast cavity. Since our old cottage table is never large enough for all the dinner clutter, the carver has his separate carving space with sharpened carving knife and several warm smaller platters at the ready. Bring platters of sliced light and dark meat to the table, garnished with fresh herbs or watercress.

Serves 10–16.

Tips

• Grill whole garlic bulbs wrapped in foil on the edge of the fire beside the turkey for about 40 minutes until the cloves are soft. Allow to cool, then cut across the tops of the cloves and squeeze out the soft roasted garlic. Use it to flavour mashed potatoes or gravy, or both. Since garlic becomes sweet and mild when roasted, consider putting in an entire head if you’re making mashed potatoes for 10–12, while just a clove or two will lend sufficient flavour to the Marsala Mushroom Gravy recipe.
• As an alternative to a large bird for smaller gatherings, a grilled, marinated fresh turkey breast half, about 3–3 1/2 lbs (1.5–2 kg), makes a delicious feast for 4–6 people, or for 2–4 with plenty left over to make great sandwiches.
• Prepare and marinate the breast as you would the whole turkey, reducing the quantity of marinade by half. Barbecue in a covered grill over a drip pan using indirect heat. The cooking time will be shorter – about 1–11/2 hours – and, if you’re cooking over charcoal, you’ll need fewer briquettes (about 30–40). The turkey breast is done when the juices run clear and the temperature on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 170°F (77°C).

Basic grilling techniques for large birds

If you’re using a charcoal grill, have more charcoal or briquettes on hand than you think you’ll need – a full 10 lb (4.5 kg) bag to be safe. If you’re cooking on a gas grill, be sure to check your
propane supply.

Barbecue the turkey in a covered grill using indirect heat. To cook over indirect heat on a charcoal grill:

• Set a large fire, using about 60 briquettes. After about 20 minutes, when the coals are covered with a light grey ash, use long-handled tongs and a mitt to divide them into two piles, one at each side of the grate. Place a large drip pan in the centre, then lightly oil the cooking grill and set it in place. Put the prepared turkey, breast side up, in the centre of the grill over the drip pan and close the lid. Add 8–10 briquettes to each side every hour or so of cooking time. Preferably, preheat these coals in a small Hibachi or metal chimney set on a heat-safe surface, so they are ready when needed.

To cook over indirect heat in a gas barbecue:

• Preheat the barbecue to high with all burners on and the lid down. Place a large drip pan on top of one of the burners. When the barbecue is preheated, turn off the burner under the drip pan. Put the turkey, breast side up, in the middle of the lightly oiled grill above the drip pan and close the lid. (The technique may vary slightly depending on the size and make of your barbecue, so check the manufacturer’s instructions.)
• Ideally, you want to maintain a constant cooking temperature inside the barbecue of approximately 325°F (160°C). Place an oven thermometer inside your barbecue if it doesn’t have an accurate one
  on the lid.
• For a stronger smoke flavour, add hickory chips to the fire. Soak chips in water for an hour before using. Drain and place directly on the coals of a charcoal fire; with a gas grill, place chips in a shallow metal container (such as an aluminum pie plate) with holes punched in it and put the container on the rocks under the grill rack.
• Resist the temptation to peek! If you rub the outside of the turkey with a flavourful marinade before putting it on the grill (see Lemon Rosemary Marinade), you will not need to baste. Each time you raise  the lid, heat escapes and you have to add another 15 minutes or so to the grilling time. So open the grill as infrequently as possible, just to add more coals or occasionally to check the heat if your
  thermometer is inside. About a half-hour before you judge the turkey to be done (see “Turkey Talk – Cooking Times and Tips,”), check its temperature with an instant-read thermometer and brush quickly
  with basting mixture or glaze.