If anyone knows how to feed a crowd it’s catering chefs, so we asked for their perfect recipes to wow Thanksgiving guests.
Charcoal-Roasted Turkey with Bourbon-Orange Glaze Courtesy of Butler’s Pantry‘s Greg Ziegenfuss 8 to 10 servings
1 gallon plus 1 cup water, divided
1 quart plus 1 cup kosher salt, divided
2 Tbsp. dry thyme
½ cup freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 lb. bag ice
1 gallon plus 2 cups orange juice, divided
12 oz. orange juice concentrate
1 quart plus ½ cup soy sauce, divided
1 quart plus ½ cup bourbon, divided
1 12- to 14-lb. turkey, neck and giblets removed
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large navel oranges, quartered
1 large yellow onion, chopped in large chunks
1 small bunch fresh thyme
½ cup honey
2 tsp. white pepper
1 stick butter
Special equipment: a large brining bag and a second grill or large fireproof metal container
• Day 1: Combine the water, 1 quart kosher salt, dry thyme and ¼ cup pepper in a very large heavy-duty pot and bring to a boil over high heat to dissolve the salt.
• Remove from heat and add the ice. Stir to cool. Add 1 gallon orange juice, the orange juice concentrate, 1 quart soy sauce and 1 quart bourbon. Stir to incorporate.
• Place the turkey in a brining bag, pour the brine over and seal. Refrigerate overnight or at least 12 hours.
• Day 2: Remove the turkey from brine. Thoroughly rinse and pat it dry. Let the turkey rest at room temperature 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare charcoal grill for high, indirect heat.
• Combine the remaining 1 cup salt, the remaining ¼ cup pepper and the vegetable oil in a bowl and rub the turkey inside and out with the gritty paste. Stuff the interior cavity of the turkey with the oranges, onion and fresh thyme.
• Place a drip pan filled with the remaining 1 cup water next to coals to catch any drippings. Place the turkey breast-side up over indirect heat, cover, and grill 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, after 20 minutes of grilling, prepare another chimney of charcoal on a second grill or within a fireproof metal container. Let it burn until the coals are completely gray.
• Meanwhile, create a glaze by bringing to boil the remaining 2 cups orange juice, the remaining ½ cup soy sauce, the remaining ½ cup bourbon, the honey and white pepper over heat high. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.
• Baste the turkey with the glaze. Add the fresh, hot charcoal to the grill. If the skin is getting too dark, tent the turkey with heavy-duty foil to prevent burning. Cover and girll another hour.
• Meanwhile, after 20 minutes of grilling, prepare another chimney of charcoal on a second grill or within a fireproof metal container. Let it burn until the coals are completely gray.
• Baste the turkey with the glaze. Add the fresh, hot charcoal to the grill. If the skin is getting too dark, tent the turkey with heavy-duty foil to prevent burning. Cover and grill another hour, until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. Baste again before removing from the grill.
• Cover the turkey with foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving.
Oolong Tea-Smoked Whole Turkey with a Citrus-Tamarind Glaze Courtesy of Hollyberry Catering‘s Kristin Stegmann 10 to 12 servings
1 gallon hot water
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 cup kosher salt
2¼ cups brown sugar, divided
1½ cups oolong tea leaves, divided
1 7-lb. bag ice
1 bunch green onions, roughly chopped
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 lemons, halved
2 oranges, halved
5 garlic cloves, smashed
9 whole star anise, divided
2 cinnamon sticks
4 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger, divided
3 Tbsp. crushed Szechwan peppercorns, divided
Vegetable oil
1 14- to 15-lb. turkey, neck and giblets removed
1 cup uncooked rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp. tamarind paste
1 Tbsp. hot Chinese mustard
Special equipment: a clean 13½-gallon cooler (or larger)
• Day 1: Combine the vegetable stock, hot water, salt, 1 ½ cup brown sugar and ½ cup oolong tea leaves in a clean 13½-gallon cooler and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in the ice, the green onions, 1 cup soy sauce, the lemons, oranges, garlic, 4 whole star anise, cinnamon sticks, 3 tablespoons ginger and 2 tablespoons peppercorns. Place the turkey breast-side up in the brine, close the cooler and brine 12 to 24 hours.
• Day 2: Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Refrigerate, uncovered, 8 to 12 hours before cooking.
• Prepare a charcoal grill for high, indirect heat or preheat a gas grill to 400 degrees for indirect heat. Rub the turkey all over with vegetable oil.
• Place 2 large sheets of heavy-duty foil on top of each other and place the tea leaves, the remaining 5 star anise, rice, the remaining 1 tablespoon peppercorns and ¼ cup brown sugar in the center. Fold up the edges to make a small bowl to hold the smoking mixture. Place the foil bowl directly on the charcoal or, if using a gas grill, on the metal bar over the gas flame.
• Place the turkey over indirect heat, cover and smoke 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by whisking together the chicken broth, orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, lemon zest, the remaining ½ cup brown sugar, butter, tamarind paste, the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger, mustard and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
• After 1 hour, baste the turkey with the glaze. Cover and continue to smoke, basting everything 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees. If the turkey is getting too dark, tent it loosely with heavy-duty foil.
• Cover the turkey with foil and let rest 1 hour before carving.
The Art of Entertaining’s Perfect Turkey Courtesy of The Art of Entertaining‘s Ann Lemcke
12 to 15 servings ¼ tsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. dried rosemary
¼ tsp. dried sage
1 20- to 22-lb. turkey, giblets removed, rinsed and dried
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 Tbsp. flour
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Create a turkey rub by mixing together the garlic salt, basil, oregano, thyme, poultry seasoning, pepper, rosemary and sage in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Rub butter all over the turkey, inside and out, then rub the turkey down with the spice blend.
• Put the flour inside a roasting bag, close and shake. Place the prepared turkey inside the flour-coated bag and tie closed. Place the roasting bag in a roasting pan and cut 4 to 5 slits in the top of the bag. Roast 4 to 5 hours, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees.
• Let the turkey rest 30 minutes before carving.
This article appears in November 2014.