Recipe: Grilled Turkey with Cornbread and Oyster Dressing

GRILLED TURKEY WITH CORNBREAD AND OYSTER DRESSING

"In a now-famous letter to his daughter Sarah, Benjamin Franklin (son of Nantucket, through his mother) wrote, "I wish the eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our Country, the turkey is a much more respectable bird, and withal a true native of America." There is overwhelming evidence that turkey was the fowl served at the first Thanksgiving dinner at the Plymouth colony. It's said that the Pilgrims hunted the birds, which heavily populated the surrounding woods, with help from their dinner guests, the Native Americans. Traditionally, the wild turkeys of Nantucket have been accompanied with some of the seafood from the local waters. I remember a Nantucket family Thanksgiving dinner that featured turkey stuffed with striped bass and peaches. My favorite turkey is served with corn bread and oyster dressing, a typical New England preparation. Since I cook outside year round, grilling the Thanksgiving turkey has become my tradition."

FOR THE DRESSING:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 ribs celery, peeled and finely diced
1/2 pound mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 unpeeled tart apple such as Granny Smith, cored and finely chopped
1 pint shucked oysters, drained of liquor
1/3 cup cream sherry
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
6 cups (1-inch-cubed) stale or toasted corn bread

FOR THE TURKEY:
1 (13- to 14-pound) turkey
12 large fresh sage leaves
8 (3-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary
Pure olive oil for coating and basting
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

TO MAKE THE DRESSING:
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the shallots until soft. Add the celery, mushrooms, and apple and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine the oysters, sherry, thyme, cayenne, salt, and white pepper. Add the corn bread and toss to thoroughly combine. Taste for salt and add as needed.

At this point, you may refrigerate the uncooked dressing and begin to cook it when the turkey goes on the grill.

TO COOK THE DRESSING:
Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F.

Generously butter an 8-by-11-by-2-inch baking dish. Add the dressing to the prepared dish.

Bake the dressing for 1 1/2 hours, or until the top is browned and crunchy. Turn the oven off and cover the dish with aluminum foil and leave in warm oven for up to 45 minutes.

TO PREPARE THE TURKEY:
Rinse and pat dry the turkey. Trim away excess fat from the cavity and tail. Use your hands to gently separate the skin from the meat over the drumsticks, thighs, and breast. Insert the sage leaves and rosemary sprigs under the skin randomly but evenly. Pat the herbs in place. Use a pastry brush to thoroughly oil the whole turkey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use butcher's twine to tie the legs together at the foot joints. Place the turkey on a rack set in a roasting pan. Fill the bottom of the pan with water.

Prepare a fire in a grill using one of two methods below. For both methods use pieces of fruitwood that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes.

FOR A GAS GRILL:
Divide the lava rocks in half and push them to the sides of the grill. Leave the grid off. Turn on the grill. When thoroughly heated, put a few pieces of soaked fruitwood on the rocks. Close the lid of the grill. Let smoke for 5 minutes. Place the roasting pan with the turkey in the middle of the lava rock and fruitwood "nest." Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, basting with olive oil every 20 minutes. You may have to cover the wings with aluminum foil if they start to burn. The turkey is ready when an instant-read thermometer in the thigh reads 165 degrees F.

FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:
Make a nest in the grill that will accommodate the roasting pan. If you are using real charcoal, there's no need for additional wood; if you're using briquettes, place the soaked fruitwood on them when they're white-hot, and replace as needed. Make sure the vents of the grill are open. The turkey may cook a bit faster in this grill. Check the temperature after 1 1/2 hours.

FOR BOTH METHODS:
Check to make sure there's always water in the roasting pan to prevent burning. Each method should produce a burnished, bronzed-skin turkey. Let the turkey rest for about 15 minutes before carving.

Serve with the corn bread dressing.

Makes 8-10 servings
Source: The Nantucket Holiday Table by Susan Simon