Chef Craig Deihl's Smoked Turkey

This is the turkey I make every year for the Cypress staff meal on Thanksgiving. We also serve it with cornbread stuffing and gruyere potato fondue. Since the bird is broken down, the meat is consistently cooked – a nice departure from crispy on the outside, cold on the inside whole turkeys.

The brine is the single most important part of a moist, delicious turkey. When I was a kid, my dad was making the brine while I was skate boarding around the driveway. Inevitably, the skate hit the bucket of brine and knocked it over. I got yelled at for my mistake, but I still did not understand what brine was.

Things run in circles. On Thanksgiving 2006, I had 12 turkeys in a brine, and someone accidentally drained them. I caught their goof after an hour and took the staff to task. The episode made me remember my childhood experience, and I reflected as to why my dad had been so mad. The brine makes the difference between a good turkey and a great one. This recipe can also be used on whole chickens and pork loins.
-Chef Craig Deihl, Cypress. Check out his blog or the Cypress website.

Thanksgiving Smoked Turkey with Bacon Braised Greens and Natural Jus
Yields 6 to 8 Servings

Brine the turkey:

2 cups water
3/4 cup salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 sprigs sage
4 sprigs thyme
1 bulb garlic split in half
5 white peppercorns
3 bay leaves
2 gallons ice water
1 10 -14 pound turkey (giblets and neck removed)

1. In a saucepan combine 2 cups water, salt and sugar. Place over medium high heat. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. If it starts to boil lower the temperature.
2. Add the sage, thyme, garlic and peppercorns and cook 3 minutes.
3. In large container combine the ice water and the hot mixture. Stir with a large spoon. Liquid should be ice cold.
4. Place the turkey into the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours.
5. Remove the turkey from the brine and in a colander with the legs facing down to drain excess brine. Brine can be discarded.

Fabricating the turkey

1. Using kitchen towels pat the turkey dry.
2. Place the turkey on a cutting board and debone. Leaving you with two breasts and two leg quarters, two full wings and the carcass.
3. Using a cleaver cut the carcass into 6 smaller pieces. Cut the wings into three segments. All of this will be used to make stock.

Smoking and cooking the turkey

4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
White pepper

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. If you are using a smoker heat to 220 degrees. If you are using a grill set to lowest setting on one side and add wood chips. Keep the opposite side turned off.
3. Rub the turkey breasts and quarters with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the breast and leg quarters to your smoker or grill and smoke for 30 minutes. If using a grill place turkey on the side that is turned off.
5. Remove the turkey from smoker or grill and place on separate sheet trays, one for the legs and one for the breasts. Wrap the turkey breast and refrigerate until ready to cook.
6. Place the turkey legs in the oven and cook for 1 hour. Add the turkey breast to the oven and cook for 45 minutes. This way both come out of the oven at the same time.
7. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes.
8. turn oven temperature down to 180 degrees.
9. Pull the meat off of the legs place on a tray and keep warm.
10. Slice the turkey breast into 1/4 inch thick slices and keep warm.
11. Place the turkey in the oven just o keep warm. Only do this if you are not ready to serve.

Natural jus

Turkey bones and wings (from one 10-14 pound turkey)
Water
1/2 cup Onion large chop
3/4 cup Leeks large chop
1/4 cup Carrots large chop
1/4 cup Celery large chop
1 Garlic bulb, dried skin removed, cut in half
5 sprigs Parsley
2 sprigs sage
4 sprigs Thyme
4 each Bay leaf
10 each White peppercorns
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon minced chives

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the turkey bones and wing segments evenly in a roasting pan.
3. Roast the bones for one hour. Move the bones around and roast for another 20 minutes. Remove the bones from the oven; add the bones to a large stockpot (16 quart or larger). Pour off the fat. Deglaze the pan by adding 2 cups of water to the pan. Place back in the oven for 3-4 minutes remove the pan and scrap the bottom with a metal spatula to loosen the fond. Add this to the stockpot.
4. Cover the bones with cold water. Add the onions, leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic to the stockpot. Top off the mirepoix with the parsley, sage, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns.
5. Place stockpot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. As the water begins to simmer a scum will start to form at the top this needs to be removed. Pull the stockpot slightly off the heat, this will allow a slow convective movement that moves the scum to one side of the pot for easy removal. Continue skimming frequently. Cook the stock for 3 hours.
6. Turn off the heat to the stockpot and allow it to cool slowly. Strain the stock into another large stockpot through a fine sieve. Place the stockpot with the stock in it back on the stove over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once again continue to skim the scum and fat off of the top.
7. Reduce the stock by 3/4; this will take about 3 hours. The stock should have a light body.
8. When the stock is reduced season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Using an immersion blender add the butter.
10. Finish with the minced chives.

Bacon braised Greens

1/2 cup salt
2 heads mustard greens (ribs removed, chopped, and washed)
1 head collard greens (ribs removed, chopped and washed)
2 heads escarole (chopped and washed)
1/2 cup bacon, small dice
2 cups julienne onions
2 tablespoons garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons salt
1/2 tablespoon white pepper
3 tablespoons herb butter

1. Fill a large stockpot 3/4 full of water and add the salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl 1/2 full with ice water.
2. When the water is boiling blanch the mustard greens in two batches for 1 minute per batch. Remove from water and shock in the ice water.
3. Allow the water to return to a boil and repeat the process with the collard greens extending the cook time to 3 minutes.
4. Allow the water to return to a boil and repeat the process with the escarole and cook for 1 minute.
5. When all the greens have been blanched, remove from the bowl and place in a colander to drain press down on the greens removing as much water as possible.
6. Place large saucepan over medium heat and add diced bacon. Render the bacon for 5 minutes. Bacon should be lightly caramelized.
7. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Onions will be translucent.
8. Add the greens to the pan and incorporate evenly.
9. Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper and stir in the herb butter.
10. When the greens are hot and mixed evenly, remove from heat.
11. Cover with a lid and keep warm.