Ingredients
Scale
For turkey:
- 6 quarts water
- 2 large onions (quartered)
- 1 cup coarse salt
- 1 cup chopped fresh ginger
- ¾ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- 4 large bay leaves
- 4 whole star anise
- 12 whole black peppercorns (crushed).
- 1 13- to 14-pound turkey, giblets discarded.
- 4 cups hickory smoke chips (soaked in water 30 minutes, drained)
- Disposable 9×6 1/4×1-inch aluminum broiler pans
- 2 large oranges, cut into wedges
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons oriental sesame oil
For glaze:
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ⅓ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons (¼ stick) butter.
Instructions
- First the turkey is soaked overnight in a brine to improve flavor and ensure moist meat. (Be sure to use a pot large enough to hold both the brine and the turkey.)
- Combine first 8 ingredients in very large pot. Bring mixture to simmer, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve. Cool brine completely.
- Rinse turkey inside and out. Place turkey in brine, pressing to submerge. Chill overnight, turning turkey twice.
If using charcoal barbecue:
- Mound charcoal briquettes in barbecue and burn until light gray. Using tongs, carefully divide hot briquettes into 2 piles, 1 pile at each side of barbecue.
- Sprinkle each pile with generous ½ cup hickory chips. Place empty broiler pan between piles.
- Position grill at least 6 inches above briquettes. Position vents on barbecue so that chips smoke and briquettes burn but do not flame.
If using gas or electric barbecue:
- Preheat barbecue with all burners on high. Turn off center burner and lower outside burners to medium-low heat.
- Place generous ½ cup hickory chips in each of 2 broiler pans. Set pans over 2 lit burners.
- Place empty broiler pan over unlit burner. Position grill at least 6 inches above burners.
- Remove turkey from brine; discard brine. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Place orange wedges in main cavity.
- Mix olive oil and sesame oil in small bowl. Brush over turkey. Arrange breast side up on grill, centering above empty broiler pan.
- Cover; cook until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 160°F, adding 1 cup hickory chips (and 6 briquettes if using charcoal barbecue) to barbecue every 30 minutes, about 3 hours.
For glaze:
- Bring all ingredients to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Brush glaze over turkey; cover and cook until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, covering any dark areas of turkey with foil, about 1 hour longer.
- Transfer turkey to platter. Tent with foil and let stand 30 minutes.
Notes
Serves 8.