Click here for an index of all our recipes. Each was developed and tested in our own kitchen--no outside, unchecked recipes.

Click here to ask for a recipe or a cooking question.

Brined, Sugar-Cane Smoked Turkey

I cook my Thanksgiving turkeys in my barbecue pit. It gets hotter than a smoker, but because I keep the turkey away from direct heat, it cooks slowly and absorbs a lot of smoky flavor. The crisp skin takes on an appealing bronze color. It also smells wonderful, and the meat inside is moister than it is with any other cooking method. Even if I wanted to try a different style, my family wouldn't let me.

Another advantage: it gives you plenty of room in the oven for other dishes you need to cook or bake.

Thaw the turkey, if frozen. This takes at least three days, and should be done in the refrigerator. Put it into the pan you'll roast it in to catch any leaks—and to remind you to get a pan.

Brine the turkey in salt water overnight. This old trick really works, and doesn't make the turkey salty. It keeps the bird very moist during cooking, and that's the big challenge in roasting a turkey. Put the turkey in an ice chest or covered container with enough water to cover it. Lately, I have been using plastic turkey-baking bags for this, to minimize the amount of brine I need to make. Dissolve one cup of salt per gallon of water (the exact amount is not critical). Keep the bird refrigerated--in the refrigerator if you have the room, or in an ice chest with the ice still in bags.

Very Important. When you remove the turkeys from the brine the next morning, rinse the turkeys very well inside and out with cold running water. The turkey will not be salty if you rinse it well.

Fire up the grill. Whether you use gas or charcoal (I greatly prefer the latter), you need something to generate smoke. I use sugar cane. I make a trip to the sugar plantations along the river and gather their leftovers. But any good smoking wood can be used. The best results come from wrapping them in a packet of aluminum foil and putting them right next to the fire. That fire should be on the opposite end of the grill from where you're going to put the turkeys.

Disengage the metal gizmos holding the turkey legs together. Remove the giblets. Season the outside with salt and pepper.

Then stuff the cavity with...

• 2 ribs celery, cut up
• 1 onion, cut up
• 1 orange, cut into eighths
• 1 lemon, cut into quarters
• A shake of tarragon
• A stem of fresh rosemary

Then the turkey goes on a wire rack, which in turn is placed into an aluminum pan. Place the turkey as far as possible away from the fire. All heat should get to the bird in smoke.

Close the cover and add coals throughout the morning to maintain a temperature of 200 to 250 degrees inside the pit. It takes about five and a half to seven hours for the internal temperature of the turkey to reach about 175 degrees. Use a meat thermometer for this; the little pop-up plastic thermometer only pops when the turkey is a touch overcooked.

Take the turkeys out and put them on the table to rest and cool for 30 minutes before carving.

Revised 3/29/08

"Best Cookbook Of The Year!"
--New Orleans Magazine



Here are my favorite recipes--the ones I cook all the time at home for family and friends--all with a distinctly New Orleans flavor. All the classics, plus plenty of originals. All tested thoroughly in my own kitchen. Clear instructions and the stories behind the dishes--as entertaining to read as to cook from!

Get An Autographed, Personalized Copy. . .
A Tasteful Gift!
I would be pleased to personalize and autograph a copy of New Orleans Food for you or a friend.

Click here to order a signed first edition.

Lowest Price
For New Orleans Food is at Amazon:
$13.57
Click here.