Cooking a turkey on the grill in a roasting pan saves oven space for other dishes, and gets the cooks outside in the crisp fall air to check on the turkey every half hour or so. Bake the dressing in a separate casserole, and stuff the turkey cavity with aromatic herbs, onions, and lemon. Smaller turkeys are more flavorful, and easier to cook and serve for a crowd than one gigantic bird. Look for free-range organic or heritage birds for even better flavor. An aromatic white wine, like a spicy Gewürztraminer, is lovely with turkey. For red wine fans, a juicy Zinfandel is a good choice.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter
- 1 bottle (750 ml) Chardonnay
- One turkey, 12 to 15 lb/5.5 to 6.8 kg
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme, plus sprigs for stuffing
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage, plus sprigs for stuffing
- 2 small onions, halved
- 2 small onions, halved
- Chardonnay Gravy for serving
How to Make It
- Preheat a gas grill/barbecue to medium-high, or prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill/barbecue. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the Chardonnay over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and soak a large cheesecloth/muslin in the butter mixture.
- Remove the turkey giblets from the turkey and reserve to make stock for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out; dry well. In a small bowl, make a paste with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and finely chopped herbs. Rub the outside of the turkey with the herb paste and place it on a rack in a roasting pan/tray, breast side up. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey. Stuff the body cavity with the onion and lemon halves and the herb sprigs.
- Drape the soaked cheesecloth/muslin over the breast of the turkey, covering the top portion of the leg as well. Reserve the remaining Chardonnay butter for basting.
- Place the roasting pan/tray on the grill/barbecue and close the cover. Roast for 30 minutes, then uncover the grill/barbecue and baste the cheesecloth/muslin with the Chardonnay butter mixture, using a pastry brush. If the bottom of the roasting pan/tray is dry, add ½ cup/120 ml water to keep the drippings from burning. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and roast, basting the cheesecloth/muslin every 30 minutes, for another hour and a half. Add a little more water if the bottom of the pan is dry.
- Discard the cheesecloth/muslin and baste the turkey with the pan juices. Cover again and roast for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, for a total of 2¾ to 3 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh but not touching bone registers 165°F/74°C (the turkey will continue to cook as it rests.) Transfer the turkey to a carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for at least 20 minutes. Pour the drippings through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup/960-ml glass measure, then skim off the fat and reserve. Reserve the roasting pan/tray for making the gravy. Carve the turkey and serve with Chardonnay Gravy.
