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hours, depending on the turkey’s weight. To check the bird, rake or shovel away the coals from the top and sides of the can. Wearing insulated grill gloves (preferably silicone), carefully lift the hot can off the turkey, keeping the open end away from you to avoid steam burns. If the bird isn’t done, replace the can and coals and continue cooking until it is nicely browned and cooked through to temperature.

8. When the turkey is done, use the grill gloves to lift it off the stake and remove it to a carving board. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Turducken

Books on medieval cooking abound in complicated recipes directing you to sew different animals together or stuff them inside larger animals. There’s something oddly compelling about these cooking projects. It’s not just their sheer novelty, it’s to prove that such culinary feats taste great. Here’s a contemporary version made with boneless birds: a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. Turducken is wildly popular in Louisiana, and we’ve put Cajun flavors in the foreground of our grilled version. From the outside, the turducken looks like a relatively normal roasted turkey. But when you cut into the bird, you see three different meats and various stuffings. We use a sausage-cornbread stuffing and an oyster stuffing. And we’ve added to the fun by stuffing a few hard-cooked eggs in the very center. Traditional Cajun turducken is roasted in a low oven for several hours. But with that method, the duck and chicken are essentially steamed inside the turkey. On the grill, we experimented with searing the duck and chicken to develop more flavor in the meat. It worked wonders. We also decided to drain some of the excess fat from the duck before assembling the whole thing. Turducken makes a spicy—and impressive—alternative to the traditional holiday turkey. Start the recipe at least a day ahead so you have time to bone the birds, make the stuffings, and assemble the beast. Plus, it takes about 8 hours to cook on the grill. If you prep the entire day before, assemble the turducken very early the next morning, and get it on the grill by 8 a.m., you’ll be carving the roast by 4 or 5 p.m.

TIMING

Prep: About 4 hours

Simmer: 3 hours

Cook: About 1 hour

Soak wood chips: 1 hour

Grill: About 8 hours

GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

• Heavy-duty thread and large needle, preferably curved (an upholstery needle works great)

• Heavy-duty roasting pan with roasting rack

• Heat-resistant grill mitts, preferably silicone

• 5 cups wood chunks or chips (apple and/or cherry)

• Smoker box or foil packet, if using a gas grill (see page 39)

TURDUCKEN TIMELINE

1 to 2 days ahead:

• Prick the duck skin.

• Debone and season the birds (refrigerate).

• Make the stock (refrigerate or freeze leftovers).

• Prepare the two stuffings (refrigerate).

• Layer the cornbread stuffing on the turkey (refrigerate).

12 hours ahead:

• Sear the chicken and duck.

• Assemble the turducken.

8 hours ahead:

• Grill-roast the turducken.

30 minutes ahead:

• Bake the extra stuffings.

• Make the gravy.

GETTING CREATIVE

• If you really want to go all out, cook the eggs on the grill instead of in boiling water. To allow steam to escape, poke a hole in the large end of each egg with a needle. Put the pricked whole eggs in their shells over direct medium heat on the grill. Cook until lightly browned all over and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, turning often. Spin an egg on a flat surface to test it. If it spins without wobbling, it’s done. If it wobbles, grill for another minute or so.

THE GRILL

Gas:

Direct heat, high (450° to 500°F), and indirect heat, medium-low (250° to 300°F)

Large 3- or 4-burner grill-middle burner(s) off

2-burner grill-1 side off

Clean, oiled grate

Charcoal:

Direct heat, red hot, and indirect heat, thick ash

Charcoal bed to one side (about 2 dozen coals on one side)

80 replacement coals

Heavy-duty drip pan set on empty side of grill

Clean, oiled grate on medium setting

INGREDIENTS (MAKES ABOUT 20