Marcus Bean cooks his Christmas turkey... on a BBQ!
If you struggle for oven space at Christmas, barbecuing your turkey could be the solution! Marcus Bean is live from the This Morning Forest with all the tips and tricks to cook the perfect bird on the bbq while freeing up your oven.
Marcus Bean’s BBQ Turkey
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
4-5 kilo Free range Turkey2 tbsp mustard seeds3 tbsp coriander seeds2 tbsp black peppercorns1 tbsp juniper berries1 tbsp sea salt flakes¼ cup dark brown sugar2 tbsp garlic powder1 tbsp onion powder2 tbsp sweet smoked paprika Clarified butter, for bastingRosemary sprigs, for basting
Method
1. One of the best ways to cook a turkey on a BBQ is to spatchcock the turkey. First Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey (This might have been done already by the butcher)
2. Place the Turkey on a worksurface breast side down, using a pair of kitchen scissors/poultry shears, cut along each side of the backbone, removing it completely. Keep it to make your gravy with the giblets.
3. Flip the turkey over so its breast side up, using the palms of your hands press the breasts of the turkey to flatten in. You should hear the breastbone crack slightly as it flattens.
4. Cut the wings off and keep for the gravy.
5. To make the dry rub, in a pestle and mortar mix the mustard seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns and juniper berries until finely ground then add the sea salt, sugar, garlic and onion powder and smoked paprika. Rub the dry rub mix all over the turkey, covering all parts. Place in a baking rack and into a baking tray. Leave in the fridge uncovered for between 2-8 Hours.
6. Light the gas BBQ and get it to a temperature of around 160°C. Place the turkey directly onto the BBQ breast side up and cook with the lid down until the breast temperature hits 60-65°C and the leg reaches 65- 70°C. If you’re cooking on charcoal, heat the charcoal and wait until the flames die down and the coals go slightly white, move the coals to one side of the BBQ so you can control the temperature. Place the lid on the BBQ and cook slowly until the turkey reaches the above temperatures.
7. Towards the end of cooking, baste the turkey with clarified butter using the rosemary sprigs as a brush.8. Once the temperature is reached remove from the grill and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. The turkey will continue to cook while resting for a further 5 minutes.
Marcus’ Tips:Use a good meat thermometer, this is the best way to cook a turkey, it allows you to get the perfect temperature for the meat to keep it nice and juicy and not overcook the bird.Don’t cook the breast meat over 68-70c as it will be overcooked.Always rest the meat, just like cooking the perfect steak once cooked always rest the meat to allow the protein to relax and come to the ideal temperature.
The great thing about cooking a turkey on a BBQ is it frees space in the kitchen and oven. It also gives more flavour to the turkey while cooking, using a gas BBQ has more control, it’s also straight forward to cook over charcoal. Using a Grill with a lid will help keep the heat in and cook the turkey evenly.