One ambitious Thanksgiving eve we gathered family, friends, and neighbors over to the house and deep-fried all their turkeys for the next day. That was fun and exhausting. Of course, keeping with R. B.’s former motto “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” we finished the turkey fry with a big batch of catfish. At least we got our money’s worth out of the peanut oil. For other ambitious Thanksgivings, R. B. has stayed up all night (by himself) nursing Tom Turkey’s fire with a formula of wet hickory chips and Tennessee whiskey. Those were the memorable years when R. B. dozed through Thanksgiving dinner and got along particularly well with everyone. Now that R. B. is in cheater recovery, a wet-smoked turkey in an oven bag leaves him with the single challenge of keeping things light and deferential at the dinner table. The cheater turkey is always moist, tender, and smoky and shows off a golden brown sheen.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 servings
Ingredients
For the Smoke Brine (double or triple as necessary)
For the Turkey
Preparation
Step 1
COMBINE 1 1/2 gallons of cold water with the brine ingredients in a cooler large enough to hold the turkey, but small enough that you don’t need too many additional gallons of brine to cover it. Brine the turkey for 24 hours. In cold weather, leave the cooler outdoors. Otherwise, place a gallon-size, sealable plastic bag filled with ice on top of the turkey and cover tightly. Add ice as necessary to keep the brine water cold.
Step 2
REMOVE the turkey from the brine. Rinse and pat dry.
Step 3
HEAT the oven to 325°F.
Step 4
SPRINKLE the turkey cavity and skin with plenty of the dry rub. Sprinkle with the herbs to taste. Place the celery and onion in the cavity.
Step 5
PLACE the bird in a turkey-size oven bag set in a roasting pan. Holding the bag open, brush the turkey with the butter.
Step 6
Following the package directions for the oven bag, Add the flour and cut the slits in the bag.
Step 7
SEAL and bake for 15 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature in the thigh is at least 175°F and the breast is 160°F.
Step 8
LET the turkey rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Discard the onion and celery and carve.
