Turkey is often saved for the annual feast at Thanksgiving, but I serve this smoked version with a Peach and Jalapeño Salsa in the height of summer. Tender breast meat, moistened with a maple-butter baste, can be thinly sliced and is perfect for a large group. My mission to educate those at risk mirrors that of Jacques and the Jacques Pépin Foundation, and I’m grateful to them for making it possible to complete my textbook, a 10-week culinary training that prepares students to become gainfully employed in a restaurant or commercial kitchen.

Smoked Turkey with Peach and Jalapeño Salsa

Category

Category name

Serves

Serves about 15

Ingredients

  • 1 turkey, about 20 pounds
  • 1 quart boiling water
  • 2 cups kosher salt
  • 1 ½ cups maple syrup
  • Large bunch herbs such as sage, parsley, oregano, garlic scapes
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons or ½ cup maple syrup

Method

  1. Prepare the turkey by removing the giblets, securing any skin with a wooden skewer and tucking the wing tips under the bird.
  2. In a large saucepan or bowl, combine the boiling water with the salt and maple syrup and stir well. Let the mixture cool. Place the turkey in a container large enough to fully submerge it. Pour over the cool brine mixture and add enough cold water to fully cover the turkey. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning it over once after 12 hours.
  3. The next day: Prepare the smoker so that it reaches, and can maintain, a temperature of 250°F for at least 4 hours.
  4. Remove the turkey from the brine and fill the cavity with the herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Set the turkey on the grill of the smoker. Close the lid and let it smoke until the legs reach 165°F, about 4 hours.
  5. For the maple-butter basting mixture: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and maple syrup and mix well. While the turkey is cooking, occasionally baste the bird with maple-butter and/or use a turkey baster to inject the maple-butter into the breast to prevent the breast meat from drying out.
  6. When the turkey is ready, carefully remove it to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 25 minutes. Remove the legs and the breast. Carve the breast into ¼-inch slices and serve with Peach and Jalapeño Salsa.

For the Peach and Jalapeño Salsa

Ingredients

  • 4 peaches, peeled and cut into medium dice
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons red bell pepper, cut into small dice
  • 1 tablespoon basil, minced
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • Sea salt
  • 1 lime

Method

Serves 4 to 6

  1. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, jalapeño, bell pepper and cilantro and toss well. Season with salt and squeeze over the lime juice.