Applewood Smoked Turkey Breast with Cider Bourbon Gravy

By hcardall

From the brine, to the turkey rub, to the cider gravy, this Applewood Smoked Turkey Breast with Cider Bourbon Gravy is flavored with bourbon and maple syrup to make a sweet, smokey feast.

Ingredients

• BRINE:
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup whole black peppercorns
• 4 cups cold bourbon
• 1 1/2 gallons cold water
• 1 (7-pound) turkey breast
• TURKEY:
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon-smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Soaked applewood chips for smoking (our smoker calls for about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1 cup water
• CIDER BOURBON GRAVY:
• The reserved turkey neck
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 shallots, diced
• 1 small apple, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 2/3 cup apple cider
• 2 cups cold low-sodium chicken stock
• 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preparation

Step 1

Before beginning, make sure your bourbon, water and chicken stock are cold.

To make the brine, combine the the salt, syrup, sugar, peppercorns, bourbon and water in a large bucket.

Remove any pieces from the turkey, like giblets or the neck, reserving to the neck for the gravy. Make sure to refrigerate it a resealable bag. Once the turkey is cleaned up, it in the liquid and refrigerate it for 8 to 12 hours.

Remove the turkey from the brine and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Place it on a baking sheet and refrigerate it for an hour or two so it dries thoroughly.

Preheat your smoker to 300-325°F, adding your wood chips to the burner.

In a bowl, combine the sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder and cumin, mixing well to combine. Gently lift the skin of the turkey and rub the melted butter all over the meat. Use it all up! I use both my hands and a spoon to drizzle it down in spaces that I can't reach. Take the spice rub and rub it all over the meat as well, underneath the skin. Rub the rest of it all over the outside of the skin, covering the turkey.

Combine the water and bourbon in a glass and pour it into the water pan of the smoker. Place the turkey in the smoker (I like to do it breast side down so the juices run down into it) and shut the door. Our smoker recommends smoking poultry for 20 to 30 minutes per pound, so I smoked this turkey for about 3 1/2 hours. Read the suggestions on your smoker and according to your turkey size, adjust the cook time.

If desired, you can baste your turkey with melted butter while smoking, but I find that opening up the door to my smoked releases a good amount of heat, thus lowering the temperature. Once the turkey is finished, be sure to let it rest for about 20 minutes before slicing.

About 30 minutes before the turkey is finished, begin the gravy. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and the apple with the salt and pepper, stirring to coat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the shallots and apple are soft. Add in the garlic and the turkey neck and brown it on all sides, cooking for about 5 minutes per side. Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in the bourbon. Stir continuously, scraping any brown bits from the pan and cook until almost all of the bourbon evaporates - you just want a thin layer of it left in the pan. Add in the cider and bring it to a simmer.

Pour the cold broth into a shaker bottle or jar. Add the flour on top, place the lid on the shaker and shake continuously for at least 30 seconds until the flour is incorporated. Remove the neck from the pan and begin to whisk the cider continuously. Slowly pour in the stock and flour while whisking and continue to stir for at least 10 to 15 minutes while the gravy thickens. Don't stop stirring or it will burn!

Carve your turkey as desired and serve it with the gravy. I find that this gravy reheats well also - simply add it to a saucepan over low heat with a drop of water or stock and heat it, stirring occasionally, until it liquifies again.