Hello Recipe Club,

It's the holiday season and many of you just did not get enough of the bird at Thanksgiving. If you are looking for a change of pace from the traditional bird, here is a great smoked turkey recipe.

The combination of flavors (orange, rum and maple syrup) has a festive holiday feel. Use the best quality naturally raised turkey you can find - definitely not a bird that comes from the processor with injected basing. The method used is hot smoking, meaning that it is indirect-grilled, using the heat of the smoke and steam to cook it, as opposed to curing and cold smoking. If you don't have a smoker, email me at steve@thehomechef.net and I will tell you how to set your grill up as a smoker. You can serve this as an appetizer with honey-mustard or for a main course, use the innards to make giblet gravy.

Chef Steve Collins

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Smoked Turkey

Ingredients:

1 turkey, cleaned well
2 oranges cut into 8 pieces
1 orange, sliced thinly
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup rum
a couple of handfuls of combined  hickory and maple chips

Preparation:

Prepare a bed of coals in the smoker. Soak the wood chips for at least 1/2 hour. Clean turkey thoroughly and salt the cavity. When you are ready to begin smoking, put a generous couple of handfuls of wood chips over the hot coals. 

Place orange slices on grill grate. Put orange pieces in the cavity of the turkey. Put the turkey on the orange slices on the grate.

Mix maple syrup and rum. Brush the turkey with the syrup mixture. Repeat basting with syrup once an hour to hour-and-a-half. Add charcoal as needed when you baste. 

As juices begin to drip into the cavity, brush with the mixture of meat juice and orange juice at the same time. Smoke the turkey until a meat thermometer placed in the thigh reads 170 degrees F.

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Chipotle Cranberry Chutney

Turkey just has to have cranberry sauce with it. I got inspired by the southwest and created this spicy version. I have gotten raves from family and friends. And don't just wait for turkey. This is great with chicken and pork too. If you have leftover turkey, make a sandwich and spread this on the bread. You'll love it!

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
juice and zest of 2 oranges
1 to 3 tablespoons chipotle peppers from canned chipotle in adobo (these can be found in the Mexican food aisle of most supermarkets.)

Preparation:

Rinse cranberries and chop chipotle peppers coarsely. Put all ingredients in a saucepan and cook until the cranberries begin popping. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Bring to room temperature before serving or if you prefer, serve chilled.

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Oven Roasted Root Vegetables

Take advantage of the bounty of winter vegetables with this easy to prepare side. It is healthy and delicious, too.

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium sweet onions cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 pound)
2 beets, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large turnip, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 carrots, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, tossing to coat. Transfer to a 13×9-inch baking dish and bake for 35 to 45 minutes (until tender) stirring occasionally.

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