Mastering the Grill_ The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking - Andrew Schloss [185]
• If you’re using a kettle grill, position the grill lid so that its vents are directly over the food but opposite the coals. That way the smoke is drawn from the coals over the food on its way out the vents.
• To easily remove the excess fat from the drippings, use a fat separator (available in most grocery stores). The fat will rise to the top and you can pour the drippings out from the bottom. Barring that, siphon off the fat with a turkey baster or ladle it off with a spoon.
DIRECTIONS
1. For the birds: The day before, remove the giblets from the chicken, duck, and turkey and reserve for another use. Remove any visible pockets of fat, especially from the duck, and rinse the birds inside and out. Pat the birds dry with paper towels. Heat a kettle of water to boiling. Poke the skin of the duck deeply with a fork, especially where there are noticeable fat deposits around the legs and along the sides of the breast. Put the duck, breast-side up, in a strainer set in a sink. Slowly pour the boiling water over the duck. This process helps remove some of the excess duck fat. Pat the duck dry.
2. Debone the birds according to the directions on page 256. The goal is to remove the bones without cutting through the skin. Debone the chicken and duck first to practice. Any mistakes there will be hidden inside the turkey. When deboning the turkey, debone the wings to the first joint only. Refrigerate each bird on a rimmed baking sheet before and after deboning.
3. Once they are deboned, open the birds up on their baking sheets and sprinkle about ¼ cup of the blackening rub all over the chicken, ¼ cup all over the duck, and ¼ cup over just the exposed meat of the turkey (not the skin), patting the spices in with your fingers. Cover the turkey and chicken tightly. Leave the duck uncovered and refrigerate all the birds overnight. Leaving the duck uncovered, skin-side up, helps to dry out the skin.
4. For the stock, preheat the oven to 400°F. After boning the birds, put the bones in a large roasting pan along with the onion, carrot, and celery. Roast until the bones are deeply browned, about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Transfer the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot. Pour 1 cup water into the hot roasting pan and scrape the bottom to release the browned bits. Add the liquid to the stockpot along with enough water to cover the bones (about 2 gallons). Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves with kitchen string, a clean twist tie, or in cheesecloth and add to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid is reduced by nearly half its original volume, about 3 hours. Skim the surface occasionally. Strain, stir in the salt, and let cool. Pour into airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. (Makes about 1 gallon total.)
5. For the cornbread: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 10-inch round cast-iron skillet or 1½-quart baking dish. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl until blended. Scatter the baking powder over the top and whisk until blended. Mix in the cornmeal and flour, gently stirring until the batter is almost free of lumps. Pour into the skillet or dish and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.
6. For the stuffings: Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Melt another 2 tablespoons butter in another large, deep sauté pan over medium heat (if you have only one pan, see Tips at left). When melted and hot, crumble the cornbread into one pan and put the Italian or French bread cubes in the other. Toast the bread in the pans, shaking occasionally, until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to separate large bowls.
7. Return one pan to medium heat and add the pecans. Toast the pecans in the pan, shaking occasionally,