CHRISTMAS TURKEY INSPIRED BY NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION

Place the thawed turkey on a rimmed baking sheet for easier transportation.

Add melted butter, hot sauce, maple syrup, white miso, and turkey stock to a mixing bowl.

Whisk to combine.

You will need to whisk vigorously and frequently to maintain emulsion.

Transfer the butter emulsion to the BBQ flavor injector.

Inject into every part of the turkey and rub the remaining butter mixture all over the surface of the turkey after injecting.

Let the turkey marinate for 2 to 3 days in the fridge or at least 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.

Once the turkey has marinated in the butter mixture, tuck wing tips under the breast to prevent them from burning and to ensure the entire breast is exposed to the smoker.

Preheat smoker to 300° F (150° C), and transfer the turkey to the preheated smoker for anywhere from 2 ½ hours - 4 ½ hours, depending on the size of the turkey. (Mine was 12- 13 lbs and it was done in 2 hours and 45 minutes). Closely monitor the temperature of the breast meat and dark meat.

Remove turkey from smoker when the thickest point of the breast meat is 150° F (65° C) and the thigh meat is 160° F (70° C).

Let rest for at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 hour, before carving and serving.

For the Turkey Prep

Using sharp kitchen shears, a carving knife, and a clef knife, very carefully skin the turkey.

Begin by removing the spine, then crack the breast bone and carefully remove the wings, pulling the skin from the meat as you go.

Note: Keep the turkey skin and the breast meat intact as these parts will be rolled up and tied together. See the episode for reference.

When you have finished skinning and deconstructing the turkey, you should have separated its skin and 2 breasts from the whole carcass.

For the Roulade Filling

Evenly butterfly both turkey breasts, then layer plastic wrap over top before pounding thoroughly using a heavy-bottomed pan until both chicken breasts are even in thickness and able to roll.

Arrange the butterflied turkey breasts on top of another layer of plastic wrap for easy rolling, sprinkle with kosher salt.

Spread a layer of sage and garlic ground sausage on the butterflied turkey breasts.

Chop and shred white onion using a box grater, and layer on top of the sausage mixture. Then add freshly chopped sage and thyme. Finish with a sprinkling of kosher salt.

Using the plastic wrap, roll the turkey breasts into a tight log (roulade), and rest in the fridge for 2 days.

For the Turkey Skin

When the two days have elapsed, prepare the turkey skin with a layer of transglutaminase passed through a fine mesh sieve.

For the Assembly

Remove the rested roulade from the fridge.

Then, using the plastic wrap, carefully roll the roulade in the prepared turkey skin into a tight log. Tie with Butcher’s twine.

Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.

Return to the fridge and rest for 2 more days.

Once the time has elapsed, prepare your sous vide for cooking.

Vacuum seal the rested, fully assembled roulade in a sous vide bag with duck fat, and set your sous vide to 155° F (70° C).

Cook the turkey roulade with the sous vide for 4 hours at 155° F (70° C).

Meanwhile, play video games, and then make the gravy.

For the Gravy

Add butter to saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until just melted and starting to foam.

Then add flour, whisking in a bit at a time.

Once all of the flour is incorporated, add red miso paste. Whisk to combine.

Then, stream in the turkey stock, slowly, a tablespoon at a time. Making sure it is fully emulsified and whisking constantly before adding another tablespoon.

When the gravy begins to come together and appear just glossy in consistency, add a few dashes of soy sauce for some color. Whisk to combine.

Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a sprig of fresh sage. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Remove from heat and set aside until ready to serve.

For the Deep-Frying

When the roulade is finished cooking in the sous vide, prepare a high-walled cast iron skillet with a few inches of frying oil. Prepare a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.

Reserve the juices from the sous vide bag in a bowl, and add to the gravy or serve with the finished roulade.

Transfer the cooked roulade to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, and thoroughly pat the roulade dry with paper towels while you heat the oil over high heat.

Very carefully fry the roulade until golden brown on all sides.

This method is inadvisable due to safety. Alternatively, we recommend pan-searing the roulade.

Using tongs, transfer and drain on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.

Cut off the Butcher’s twine, slice, and serve hot with gravy!

Make sure your turkey is completely Make sure your turkey is completely frozen.

Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C).

Transfer frozen turkey to a rimmed baking sheet, then directly to the preheated oven.

Cook until the juices run clear, stabbing the turkey repeatedly throughout to check for doneness. (I let my turkey go for 6 hours)

We do not recommend serving this to anyone, but it could make a good stock.