Flattened Smoked Turkey with Dr.Pepper Cranberry Sauce and Stuffing Toast
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Food:
Poultry
Serves:
6-8 people
Prep Time:
20 min
Cook Time:
3 hours
Gearing up for American Thanksgiving with this simple yet incredible recipe for a spatchcocked smoked turkey with Dr. Pepper cranberry sauce and stuffing toast. Spatchcocking, or flattening the turkey allows the meat to cook more evenly and not dry out, giving you a juicy turkey every time. And what is stuffing toast you ask? Well, it's brioche bread smeared with a compound butter made with traditional stuffing flavours like fresh sage and rosemary and toasted to golden perfection on the Alchemy flattop. Try out this smoked turkey for Thanksgiving this year, or any holiday gathering.
By:Chef Matt Basile
Ingredients
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1 x 12lb turkey
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Balsamic glaze (or balsamic vinegar and olive oil)
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1 tsp cinnamon
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½ tsp ground nutmeg
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3 tbsp black pepper
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3 tbsp salt
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1 tsp coriander seed
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4 tbsp garlic powder
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2 oranges, zest and juice
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1 x 340g bag Fresh cranberries
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4 x 222ml cans Dr. Pepper
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8 tbsp brown Sugar
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1 tbsp salt
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1 tsp cinnamon
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1 tsp black pepper
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2 tsp Sriracha
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½ tsp nutmeg
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½ cup liquid from cranberry sauce
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1/4 cup honey
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1 x 222ml can Dr. Pepper
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Juice from 2 lemons
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6 pieces Dempster’s Signature Gold Bread
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½ cup butter
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5 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
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2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
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3 cloves garlic
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1 tsp salt
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Fresh cracked pepper
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Lemon zest from 2 lemons
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1 tsp honey
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1 white onion
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Sliced bread and butter pickles
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Pickle juice
Rub
Dr. Pepper Cranberry Sauce
Turkey baste
Stuffing Toast:
For serving
Instructions
Set smoker to 250F-275F.
Spatchcock your turkey by removing the spine and flattening it. Using a sharp knife, cut along the base of the drumstick near the joint and then pull the skin off to expose the bone – this method is called Frenching and is mainly aesthetic, but we recommend doing it.
Spread a thin layer of the balsamic reduction all over the flattened turkey, on both sides. In a bowl, mix all the rub ingredients. Apply the rub liberally to all sides of the turkey. Place in the smoker for 2.5-3 hours or until it reaches an internal temp of 160F.
For the cranberry sauce, in a large pot add the cranberries, then the zest and juice of two oranges. Add salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, pepper, Sriracha, nutmeg and mix. Pour in 3 cans of Dr. Pepper, and then place on the elevated rack and cover. Let cook and reduce about 20 minutes, then remove ½ cup of just the liquid. Continue to cook another half an hour, 40 minutes, and then at this halfway point, add one more can of Dr. Pepper. Simmer and reduce another hour. Remove from the heat once done.
In a bowl with the reserved cranberry liquid, add 1 can of Dr.Pepper, the juice from two lemons and then mix in the honey. Use this to baste the turkey about every 30-45 minutes.
Thinly slice the onions and grill on the flattop. Add to a bowl and cover with pickle juice to lightly pickle.
To make the stuffing toast, add the chopped sage and rosemary to a bowl. Grate in the zest of 2 lemons, grate in the garlic, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle in the honey and add the butter, mix together well. Spread a generous layer of butter on one side of your bread and then toast both sides on the flattop.
Once the turkey has reached an internal temp of 160F, remove from the smoker. Brush with the cranberry basting sauce. Cut into pieces, removing the full legs, and separating the breasts. Place each piece on the elevated rack to sear. Remove and baste again. Slice the breasts and separate the drums from the thighs.
To build your platter, place all the turkey down on one side, then stack the stuffing toast on the other side of the platter. Add dollops of cranberry sauce to the turkey. Place a handful of pickle slices in the centre of the platter, on the turkey, and more on the side. Place the pickled onions on the platter, next to the turkey. Garnish with two sprigs of fresh rosemary (crisp up on the flattop if you like). Then season the platter with salt and pepper.