In the past, I've always gone to my parents or a relatives house for Thanksgiving, but this year it's going to be at my house. This of course puts me in charge of cooking the turkey this year. I'm sure I could just follow the standard recipe, toss it in the oven and have it turn out fine, but I want to make it REALLY good.

Right now, I'm thinking of putting it in the smoker for half the day and then finishing it in the oven. Just looking for any other tips or advice for roasting, brines, seasonings, or any other ideas for the perfect turkey.

I've done the smoked then roasted turkey and i turned out great. I think the best thing I have done different is to cook the breast separately from the rest of the turkey. You don't have the eye appeal of the whole roasted turkey but it eats better when you don't over cook and dry out the breast meat in order to properly cook the other parts of the turkey, especially if it's stuffed.

Which ever method you use make sure you brine your turkey. I just use 4cups of Kosher salt , 1 cup brown sugar and two gallons of water in my
"Homer bucket", 8 hours soak .

If you want to try Alton Brown's brine....

1 gallon vegetable broth
1 gallon heavily iced water
1 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger

Use regular vegetable broth, not low- or no-sodium varieties. Substitute 3/4 cup Morton Kosher Salt or 1/2 cup table salt for Diamond Crystal.

Combine all ingredients except ice water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve. Remove from heat, let mixture come to room temperature, then refrigerate to 40°F.

In a large non-reactive container, combine the mixture with 1 gallon heavily iced water and stir. Place rinsed, drained whole turkey into the brine. Use a heavy weight to keep the bird submerged, if necessary. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours. Turn the bird over once during brining.

Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Apply a thin coat of canola oil before cooking.

I have smoked four turkeys so far this year, all with good results. Three were in the fourteen pound range (my preference), and the one that I smoked today was twenty-three pounds. The three fourteens all took around three hours, and the large one took about five-and-a-half. I ran my temp around 325 using lump charcoal, with apple, and cherry wood for smoke. These turkeys were all pre basted, but I also have brined them myself.

one gallon water
one half gallon veg. broth
one bag ice
one pound kosher salt
one pound sugar
whole black peppercorns (hand full)
(this is a rough approximation from Alton Brown)

dissolve salt and sugar in water and let cool
add rest of ingredients including turkey into bucket
I keep mine in the garage for at least 8 hours
before smoking, season the turkey. I go under the skin and then put veg. oil on the skin, then season that too. Also I stuff the cavity with apples and oranges. I think this keeps the breast from cooking too quickly, along with infusing just a little more flavor into the meat.
cook the turkey till the breast is in the mid 160's but make sure the thigh hits at least 170 ( in my experience, the thigh cooks faster than the breast). and let rest, tripple wrapped in foil for an hour before carving

If you have any questions, pm me, and we can talk.
I know this sounds like alot of work, but trust me, the results will not dissapoint.

I like the heart attack on a plate. We deep fried the brid last year cajun style. It kicked a$$ and everyone stated it was the best they ever had. Put it far away from the house if you do though. Eating outside after burning the house down could ruin the dinner.
O'yea.....I just got the recipe off the internet and put it together. Injected the bird and all. If you do it, do it fast because we let it sit for half a day after injecting.

Buy a Traeger. Best damn smoker/BBQer out there. I smoke it for 3 or 4 hours then turn it up and let it go. Once the bird gets a nice golden color, I tent it with foil. As long as the hopper is full of pellets, I'm good. I've used apple, cherry, alder, and other pellets in the past.

Way cool smoker for fish, too.

Go for broke.

Make a Turducken!!!!!

My brine is similar but with apple juice. I slow smoke for about 16 hours and it turns out nice and moist.

I've changed my mind.

I think you need to make and try a Turkbaconducken.

Mmmm, bacon....

http://blog.rifftrax.com/2008/11/24/happy-thanksbacon/

Wow that looks good! Heart attack waiting to happen!

Keith

How on earth did you manage to find a site like that. Pork fat the 5th food group.

Get out and buy a fryer yesterday. Inject with one ounce per pound of bird. Mix Italian dressing with a generous dash of Tabasco and then run with blackened seasoning and let it sit until tomorrow. 3.5 minutes per pound ... you'll never eat an oven bird again!!!

Well, maybe the bacon fest one

Chum stuffed with kelt, stuffed with lutefisk?