Holiday Turkey Food

SMOKED HOLIDAY TURKEY

Steps:

• In a bowl mix minced onion, garlic, rosemary, pepper, 1 tsp paprika, salt and enough olive oil to create a thick paste consistency.
• Clean turkey and prepare for smoker breast up. With a paring knife or other small knife, make incisions straight down into the meat and to the bone, about 1 to 1.5 inches long. You can gouge the holes out deeper below the surface by wiggling the knife to make a larger cavity if you wish. Do this all over the turkey, in any place that you can make a hole and pack some of the mix into the cut, about 1.5 to 2 inches apart.
• Use a spoon and fingers to pack all of the holes with your mix, stuffing them to the top of the hole.
• Quarter onions and pack them with the rosemary sprigs inside the turkey cavity.
• With your hands, coat the turkey on the outside completely with olive oil, and then dust down fairly heavily with paprika. Tie the legs together with string.
• Place on smoker and smoke as you usually would, about 4 to 5 hours in my particular smoker.

THANKSGIVING TURKEY WITH HOLIDAY RUB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Mix all of the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.
• Put the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Generously season the turkey cavity with salt and pepper, to taste. Brush the turkey with olive oil, and rub it with the seasoning mixture. Tie the legs together loosely to hold their shape, and tuck the wing tips under.
• Roast the turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 165 to 170 degrees F, about 3 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a platter. Tent it very loosely with foil, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes (the internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees). Reserve the juices in the pan.
• Gravy: Scrape the juices and browned bits from the roasting pan into a large glass measuring cup. Spoon off the fat, reserving 2 tablespoons. If necessary, add enough stock to the juices to measure 1 2/3 cups.
• Heat the reserved 2 tablespoons fat in a heavy, large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, and shallots, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the flour and whisk until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the degreased pan juices, and the 2 cups stock. Bring to a boil, whisking until smooth. Reduce the heat and simmer until the gravy is reduced to the desired consistency, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the lemon juice, and the sour cream. Season the gravy with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the gravy into a serving bowl. Carve the turkey and arrange it on a serving platter. Serve the turkey with the gravy.

HOLIDAY TURKEY SOUP

Steps:

• Cover turkey carass with with the 12 cups of water and add the bay leaf. Bring to boil, then cook on low for 1 to 2 hours. Let cool, remove carass & bay leaf & skim the fat.
• Bring broth to boil and add barley, salt, pepper, poulty seasoning.
• Once barley has been started, cook rice in a separate pot.
• After barley has cooked for about 40 minutes, add turkey & all remaining veggies. Cook an additional 20 minutes.
• Stir in cooked rice. Serves a crowd & is even better the second day. Freezes great as well.