Grilling And Barbecue Recipes

Sometimes all it takes to reinvent the very nature of a dish is a subtle shift, a change of ingredient, a slimmer slice, a different cooking method. In this recipe a classic gazpacho takes on a new personality. Grilling the vegetables for the soup deepens the flavors and heightens the spices, turning what was once a kind of liquid salad into a main attraction. Serve it as a substantial first course, a light meal, or a summer entree by adding grilled shrimp, chicken, or sausage.

TIMING
Prep: 10 minutes
Grill: 10 minutes.

BBQ TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
- Grill screen
- Long-handled spatula.

GETTING CREATIVE
- Make golden gazpacho by using yellow tomatoes and yellow peppers in place of red.
- Vary the spiciness with the kind of hot sauce you use.
- Deepen the color and flavor of the gazpacho by using black bread in place of the white bread to thicken it.

STREAMLINING
- To get the gazpacho chilled faster, use ice cubes in place of water. As soon as they melt, the soup will be cold enough to serve.

THE GRILL
Gas: Direct heat, medium-high (400° to 450°F)
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal:
Direct heat, light ash
12-by-12-inch charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals)
Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting
Wood:
Direct heat, light ash
12-by-12-inch bed, 3 to 4 inches deep
Clean, oiled grate set 2 inches above the fire.

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 6 SERVINGS)
Oil for coating grill screen
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges
3 large tomatoes, thickly sliced
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
2 slices firm white bread, crusts removed, finely crumbled
1½ cups vegetable broth
1½ cups water
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup capers.

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the grill as directed. Put the grill screen on the grill and coat it with oil.
2. Toss the bell peppers, onion, and tomatoes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the salt and pepper. Place on the grill screen and grill until browned and tender, about 5 minutes per side. Watch carefully: Different vegetables cook at different rates. Turn as needed.
3. Combine the cucumbers, bread, broth, water, hot pepper sauce, vinegar, capers, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large serving bowl. Finely chop the grilled vegetables and add to the bowl. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste and chill thoroughly before serving.

Vinaigrettes are simple. Made from two main ingredients, they differ largely in the proportions used – more oil or more vinegar? Will you add herbs this time, or just a clove of garlic? But occasionally something comes along that gives the old standby a whole new identity. In that vein, we give you Brown-Butter Vinaigrette. The oil is replaced with sauteed butter, creating a culinary hybrid – half vinaigrette, half butter sauce. It’s vinaigrette deluxe.

TIMING
Prep: 10 minutes
Grill: 10 minutes.

BBQ TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
- Grill screen
- Long-handled spatula.

GETTING CREATIVE
- Change the vegetables to fit what you have on hand, or pour this vinaigrette over a single vegetable, such as asparagus, potatoes, artichokes, or a variety of heirloom tomatoes.
- Add herbs to the vinaigrette, or replace part of the vinegar with lemon or lime juice.

THE GRILL
Gas: Direct heat, medium-high (400° to 450°F)
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal:
Direct heat, light ash
12-by-12-inch charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals)
Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting
Wood:
Direct heat, light ash
12-by-12-inch bed, 3 to 4 inches deep
Clean, oiled grate set 2 inches above the fire.

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 6 SERVINGS)
Oil for coating grill screen
2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into ¾-inch slices
2 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise into ¾-inch slices 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips 1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges
3 large tomatoes, thickly sliced
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup capers.

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the grill as directed. Put the grill screen on the grill and coat it with oil.
2. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Place on the grill screen and grill until browned and tender, about 5 minutes per side. Watch carefully: Different vegetables cook at different rates. Turn as needed.
3. Put a large skillet over high heat. Add the butter and cook until it begins to brown lightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar and capers.
4. Cut the vegetables into large bite-size chunks, place in a serving bowl, and pour the brown butter vinaigrette over the top. Serve warm.

The Hawaiian luau is an over-the-top eating extravaganza – the big kahuna of Hawaiian cooking. The centerpiece is kalua pig (ka meaning “the,” and lua meaning “hole”), which refers to the method of cooking in an imu, a Polynesian pit oven. Digging the pit, constructing the imu, and cooking the pig is an all-day affair (literally all day, requiring about 18 hours). So we offer a modified mainland method that is impressive in its own right. Even so, your standard gas or kettle grill will not suffice. A big barrel-shaped smoker-grill or a premium gigantic gas grill will work well; otherwise, you will have to rent a large party grill.

TIMING
Prep: 45 minutes (plus 5 minutes for the lacquer)
Grill: About 3½ hours.

BBQ TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Large needle, preferably curved (an upholstery needle works great)
- Heavy-duty thread
- Heavy-duty cotton kitchen twine
- Ti, palm, or banana leaves
- Large carving board.

LOMI LOMI SALMON
This marinated salmon salad is a traditional luau side dish.
Makes about 15 servings
2 pounds salmon fillet, skin and bones removed
Kosher salt, as needed
4 tomatoes, stemmed and diced
1 small red onion, diced
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced Juice of 1 lime
¼ to ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Ground black pepper to taste
Slice the salmon thinly. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt, cover
with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Rinse and pat dry. Cut
into small pieces and toss with the remaining ingredients.

PROCURING A PIG
A suckling pig is not just a small pig; it is an infant. The North American Meat Processors Association has developed guidelines for butchering and sizing animals, to which all butchers subscribe. Under these guidelines animals are categorized by size, A through D. Unless you have a gargantuan grill, you want to purchase a pig in the A weight range, which is 12 to 24 pounds. These will cost much more per pound than larger pigs, but you will end up paying about the same amount for the whole pig. Most supermarket meat departments will not be able to get an item this specific, so we suggest you look for a good-quality Italian or Hispanic butcher.

THE GRILL (MINIMUM 36-INCH-WIDE BY 24-INCH-DEEP FIRE BED)
Gas:
Indirect heat, low (225° to 250°F)
3- or 4-burner grill – middle burner(s) off
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal:
Indirect heat, heavy ash
Split charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals per side)
60 to 80 replacement coals
Large, heavy-duty drip pan set between banks of charcoal
Clean, oiled grate on high setting
Wood:
Indirect heat, heavy ash
2 beds, 8 by 8 inches, 2 inches deep
Additional wood for replacement
Clean, oiled grate set 6 to 8 inches above the fire.

INGREDIENTS (MAKES ABOUT 15 SERVINGS)
For the pig:
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups long-grain rice
1 can (about 14 ounces) coconut milk
2¼ cups water
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1½ cups coarsely chopped dried pineapple (6 ounces)
½ cup coarsely chopped crystallized ginger (2 ounces)
1 cup chopped dried apricots (4 ounces)
1 cup dried tart cherries
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 suckling pig, dressed, about 20 pounds (left)
2 cups Red-Cooking Lacquer
1 lime (optional)
For the fruit and onions:
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup dark rum
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 large pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced into ½-inch-thick rings
1 papaya, peeled, seeded, and sliced into wedges
2 star fruit, cut into ½-inch slices
1 orange, thickly sliced
2 limes, sliced
2 large sweet onions, such as Maui, peeled and sliced into ½-inch thick rings
Lomi Lomi Salmon (recipe at left; optional).

DIRECTIONS
1. For the pig, heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the coconut and stir until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Add the coconut milk, water, red pepper flakes, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pineapple, ginger, apricots, cherries, scallions, and vanilla. Cool completely. The stuffing can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before continuing.
3. Brush the cavity of the pig with ½ cup of the Red-Cooking Lacquer. Loosely fill the pig with the rice stuffing and sew the cavity shut, using the needle and heavy-duty thread.
4. Position the legs under the pig. The front legs will rest under the chin (the pig might come this way from the butcher), and the back legs should be set forward, bent from the hip, not the knee, so they extend along the belly. Tie the legs in place with several lengths of heavy-duty kitchen twine (see the illustration). Position the ears so that they cover the pig’s eyes, and tie twine over the ears to hold them in place. Cover the snout and tail with aluminum foil. Place a double thickness of foil around the front feet and under the loin and the back feet in the center of the pig. Stuff a ball of foil (or a block of wood) in the pig’s mouth if you are planning to serve it with a lime in its mouth.
5. Heat the grill as directed. Spread a double layer of aluminum foil on the grill grate, covering the area that is not directly over the heat. Line the foil with 2 to 3 layers of ti, palm, or banana leaves, and put the pig right-side up on top of the leaves. Cook, covered, for 2 hours, until the surface has begun to brown. If your grill has a temperature gauge, it should stay between 200° and 250°F. Replenish the charcoal or wood after the first hour.
6. Snip the twine and remove. Coat the outside of the pig with half of the remaining lacquer, cover the grill, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of one of the thighs registers 160°F, making sure that the thermometer is not touching bone, about 1½ hours longer. Brush with the remaining lacquer halfway through, and keep the temperature gauge at around 225°F. 7. For the fruit and onions, while the pig is roasting, mix the brown sugar, rum, cardamom, and sesame oil in a large saucepan; heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool. Add the fruit and onion slices just before the pig is done, and toss to coat.
8. Line a large carving board with ti, palm, or banana leaves. Remove the pig to the board and let it rest.
9. Grill the fruit and onion directly over the heat until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side, brushing several times with any extra glaze.
10. Pull the thread from the belly of the pig, and replace the wooden block or foil ball in the mouth with the lime, if desired; carve by cutting the pig into leg and shoulder sections and carving the meat from the bone. Cut the ribs into 2-rib sections. Serve the meat with the stuffing, grilled fruit and onions, and Lomi Lomi Salmon, if desired.

This spectacular roast looks like a humble turkey when whole, but be ready to receive applause with grace and humility when you start to carve it. There are no bones to impede your progress as slice after perfect slice falls from your knife. The juxtaposition of sweet-tart kumquat, aromatic fennel, and velvety chestnuts in the stuffing is equally impressive.

TIMING
Prep: 1 hour (plus 10 minutes for brine and rub)
Brine: Overnight
Grill: 3 to 4 hours.

BBQ TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
- Jumbo zipper-lock bag
- Grill screen
- Heavy-duty thread and large, sturdy needle, preferably curved (an upholstery needle works great)
- Kitchen twine
- Heavy-duty roasting pan with roasting rack
- Heat-resistant grill mitts.

DEBONING A TURKEY (OR ANY OTHER BIRD)
1. Place the bird, backbone up, on a large, rimmed sheet pan. Make a slit through the skin running straight down the center of the backbone. If you are right-handed, start boning the left side of the turkey first. (Left-handed? Start on the right side.) Using short strokes, work your knife just under the skin, separating the meat from the bone all the way down the length of the backbone. As you are cutting, you should feel bone against one side of the knife at all times. This will ensure that you aren’t leaving meat on the carcass. Use the illustrations below as a guide to the bone structure of the bird.
2. After the meat is disengaged from the backbone, your knife will start to go over the outside of the rib cage. Continue to cut the meat from the rib cage in the same way that you disengaged it from the backbone. Soon you will come to where the leg joins the hip at one end of the turkey, and where the wing joins the shoulder at the other end. If you pull the limbs upward toward the backbone (in the opposite direction of the way they naturally move), the joints will pop out of their sockets. Cut through the tendons holding the joints in place, and the leg and wing will separate from the carcass.
3. In order to get the wing to disengage from the carcass, you will have to cut around the end of the wishbone and the thick bone that attaches the wing to the breast. In order to get the leg to disengage, you will have to cut around the hip bone and slit the membrane surrounding the internal cavity. The leg and wing will now fall away from the carcass.
4. To separate the breast from the carcass, continue to cut around the rib cage, still using short strokes and making sure that you feel bone against one side of the knife. Eventually you will get to the sternum (a large, flat bone that forms the arc of the breast). Scrape the meat from the sternum, stopping at its edge.
5. Turn the bird around and bone the other side in the same way. The bird will now be attached only along the edge of the sternum. Holding the carcass with one hand, and with the sharp edge of the knife angled toward the bone, make small slits down the edge of the sternum as you lift the carcass away from the meat. Be careful to avoid cutting through the skin; it lies right against the bone along the sternum.
6. If you wish, remove the leg and wing bones by grasping the hip bone (for the leg) and the shoulder bone (for the wing), then cutting around the bone with the tip of a knife, removing the meat from the bones. Be careful not to cut through the skin. When you reach the end of the leg, pull the bone from the skin by grasping both and stretching the bone and skin in opposite direction.

THE GRILL
Gas:
Indirect heat, medium (325° to 350°F)
3- or 4-burner grill – middle burner(s) off
2-burner grill – 1 side off
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal:
Indirect heat, medium ash
Split charcoal bed (about 2 dozen coals per side)
20 replacement coals
Heavy-duty drip pan set between banks of charcoal
Clean, oiled grate on medium setting.

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 12 TO 14 SERVINGS)
For the turkey:
1 fresh turkey, 18 to 20 pounds
4 cups Orange-Fennel Brine
For the stuffing:
6 dozen chestnuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 bulbs fennel, dark green stems and leaves removed, separated
into stalks
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups chicken broth
30 kumquats (about 1½ pints), halved lengthwise, seeds removed, coarsely chopped
For the pan sauce:
1½ cups orange juice
1½ cups chicken or turkey broth
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence or Provençal Herb Rub
2 tablespoons butter
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste.

DIRECTIONS
1. The day before serving, debone the turkey (see “Deboning a Turkey,” left).
2. Put the turkey in a jumbo-size zipper-lock bag with the brine. Seal the zipper, leaving about an inch open; push on the bag to release any trapped air through the opening, and close the zipper completely. Massage the liquid gently into the meat and refrigerate overnight, or for 6 to 12 hours.
3. Heat the grill as directed.
4. To make the stuffings, cut a small X just through the shell on the rounded side of each chestnut, using a serrated knife. Put a grill screen on the grill, away from the fire. Arrange the chestnuts, cutside up, on the screen, close the grill, and cook until the cuts in the shells open wide, the chestnut meat is tender, and the bottom of the shells have browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool until comfortable to touch but still warm, about 10 minutes. Peel away the shells and the hairy skin underneath. Chop the chestnut meat finely.
5. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Add the onions and fennel and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sage, rosemary, and garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the chicken broth and boil until the liquid is almost all gone, stirring often. Stir in the kumquats. Cool.
6. Remove the turkey from the brine; discard the brine. Put the turkey, skin-side down, on a large, rimmed sheet pan. Sew up the back of the turkey, using a large, sturdy needle and heavy-duty thread, starting at the neck and ending at the tail. Turn the turkey right-side up. Stuff the cooled stuffing loosely into the cavity and stitch the opening shut. Tie the ends of the drumsticks together with twine and form the turkey into a natural turkey shape; tie lengths of twine around the turkey to secure it.
7. Put the turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Put the roasting pan on the grill away from the heat, cover the grill, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers about 170°F, about 3 hours. If your grill has a temperature gauge, it should stay between 350° and 375°F. If you are using charcoal, you will probably have to replenish the coals after the first hour.
8. When the turkey is done, use grill mitts to remove it to a carving board, and cover it with foil to keep warm. Remove the rack from the roasting pan and put the roasting pan on a burner heated to medium. Add the orange juice, broth, and herb blend. Bring to a boil, scraping any brown bits clinging to the bottom of the pan into the liquid. Boil for 5 minutes, remove from the heat, and swirl in the butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and strain into a serving dish.
9. To carve the turkey, remove the twine. Remove the legs and wings and cut into sections. Grab one end of the thread that is stitching up the back and pull; it will all come out. Slice the breast in straight slices from end to end; because all of the bones have been removed, you will get perfect slices surrounding a core stuffing. Serve with the pan sauce.
1. Sternum
2. Wishbone
3. Shoulder
4. Backbone
5. Wing
6. Ribcage
7. Hipbone
8. Thigh bone
9. Drumstick

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.

BBQ 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.

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 SERVINGS)
For the birds:
1 fresh chicken, 3 to 4 pounds
1 fresh Muscovy duckling, 5 to 6 pounds (see Tips)
1 fresh turkey, 16 to 20 pounds
1½ cups Cajun Blackening Rub
Oil for coating grill grate
For the stock:
Carcasses from boned turkey, duck, and chicken
1 large onion, quartered
1 large carrot, quartered
1 large rib celery, quartered
About 2 gallons water
8 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
8 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
For the cornbread:
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) butter, melted, or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup yellow cornmeal (stone-ground is best)
1 cup all-purpose flour
For the stuffings:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 large loaf (1 to 1½ pounds) Italian or French bread, cut into ¼ to ½-inch cubes
2 cups pecans
1½ pounds andouille or other fresh spicy pork sausage
5 onions, chopped
5 ribs celery, chopped
3 bell peppers (a mix of colors), seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons dried sage
2 teaspoons dried savory
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 dozen oysters, shucked (see Tips)
4 eggs, beaten
2 to 4 hard-cooked eggs (see Tips)
For the gravy:
1½ tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in ¾ cup cold water Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste.

ASSEMBLING THE TURDUCKEN
1. Season the boneless birds.
2. Stuff the turkey legs and wings.
3. Put the duck on the turkey and spread with stuffing.
4. Put the chicken on the duck and spread with stuffing.
5. Center the hard-cooked eggs over the stuffing on the chicken.
6. Fold up the chicken.
7. Fold up the duck.
8. Fold up the turkey.
9. Sew up the back of the turkey.
10. Turn the turkey right-side up and truss with twine.

STRUCTURE OF THE TURDUCKEN
1. Turkey
2. Cornbread stuffing
3. Duck
4. Oyster stuffing
5. Chicken
6. Hard-cooked eggs.

TIPS
- For information on types of ducklings, see the introduction to the Smoky Barbecued Duck recipe. Either a Long Island or Muscovy duck will work here, but a Muscovy is preferred because it is less fatty. If using a Long Island duck, dry out the skin.
- This recipe calls for making poultry stock, since you have the bones anyway. But you could use about 10 cups (2½ quarts) prepared chicken stock if you prefer.
- We make the two stuffings simultaneously in separate pans, since many of the same ingredients are used in both stuffings. If you have only one large sauté pan, make the two stuffings sequentially, wiping out the pan between batches.
- You’ll have enough work to do in this recipe, so ask your fishmonger to shuck the oysters for you, saving the oyster juices or “liquor” so you can moisten the stuffing with it. Or to shuck the oysters yourself, cover your hand with a thick dish towel or oven mitt to protect it, and set a medium bowl on a work surface. Put an oyster in the towel in the palm of your hand and work over the bowl to catch the oyster juices. Dig the tip of an oyster knife or a pointy can opener deeply into the hinge of the oyster shell, then pry open and pop the two halves loose. Slide the oyster knife or a dull knife such as a butter knife all the way under the oyster meat as close to the shell as possible, cutting the meat from the shell. Don’t use a sharp knife here, since it could easily cut you. If you can’t find fresh oysters in the shell, use about 1 pint raw oysters. Drain the raw oysters before adding them to the stuffing, and save the liquid for moistening the stuffing.
- Two to four hard cooked eggs will fit inside the chicken depending on the bird’s size. To hard-cook the eggs for the center of the turducken, put the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with 1 inch of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. When the water begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and fill the pan with a few changes of cold water to stop the cooking. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- 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. 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, skinside 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, until fragrant and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a cutting board, let cool, and chop coarsely.
8. Return the pecan pan to medium-high heat. Cut the sausage into small cubes or remove from its casing (if necessary) and add to the pan. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until lightly browned all over and the fat begins to render, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, return the other sauté pan to medium-high heat so that you can prepare both stuffings simultaneously. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in that pan, then divide the onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic between the 2 pans. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Divide the parsley, sage, savory, thyme, paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne between the 2 pans. Stir until heated through, then remove the pans from the heat. Stir the sausage stuffing mixture into the cornbread crumbs in the bowl. Stir the other stuffing mixture into the Italian or French bread cubes in the other bowl. Stir the oysters into the bowl with the bread cubes. Add enough of the prepared poultry stock to the oyster juices to equal 1 cup. Drizzle the liquid over the oyster stuffing, stirring it in along with 2 of the beaten eggs. Drizzle about 1 cup of the poultry stock over the cornbread-sausage stuffing, stirring it in along with the remaining 2 beaten eggs.
9. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and open up the bird as flat as possible. Stuff the leg and wing cavities with the cornbread-sausage stuffing, pushing it in with your hands and the handle of a wooden spoon or other narrow tool. Use enough stuffing so that the legs and wings are propped up and look as if they have bones, 1 to 2 cups per cavity. Spread 2 to 3 cups of the remaining cornbread stuffing over the exposed turkey meat, patting it into an even layer about ½ to ¾ inch thick. You should have 6 to 8 cups of cornbread stuffing left over. Tightly cover the turkey and remaining stuffing and refrigerate overnight.
10. Ten to twelve hours before serving time: Heat the grill as directed for high direct heat. Remove the chicken, duck, and stuffings from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before grilling.
11. Brush the grill grate and coat it with oil. Put the boneless duck, skin-side down, on the grill directly over the heat. Cook just until the meat is seared on both sides but not cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the boneless chicken. Remove the birds to foil-covered baking sheets.
12. To assemble the turducken, remove the stuffed turkey from the refrigerator. It should be flat, with the skin side down and the stuffing facing up. Put the seared boneless duck, skin-side down, over the stuffing on the turkey and spread the duck as flat as possible. Spread about 4 cups of oyster stuffing over the duck meat, patting it into an even layer about ½ to ¾ inch thick. You should have 6 to 8 cups of oyster stuffing left over. Cover and refrigerate the remaining stuffing.
13. Put the seared boneless chicken, skin-side down, over the stuffing on the duck and spread the chicken as flat as possible. Spread 3 to 4 cups of the remaining cornbread-sausage stuffing over the chicken meat, patting it into an even layer about ½ to ¾ inch thick. You should have 3 to 4 cups of cornbread-sausage stuffing left over; cover and refrigerate it. Peel the hard-cooked eggs under cool running water. Center the eggs on the chicken over the stuffing; the eggs should be in a horizontal row.
14. Grab one side of the chicken and stuffing and fold it tightly over the horizontal row of eggs. It should fold almost to the opposite side of the row of eggs. Repeat with the other side of the chicken, folding it tightly over the first side. Next, fold one side of the duck tightly over the chicken, holding the stuffed chicken firmly in place. Fold the other side of the duck tightly over the chicken, still holding the chicken firmly in place. Finally, fold one side of the turkey over the duck, holding the stuffed duck firmly in place. Fold the other side of the turkey over the duck, still holding the duck firmly in place. The two sides of the turkey should reach each other in the middle.
15. Sew up the back of the turkey, using a large, sturdy needle and heavy-duty thread, starting at the neck and ending at the tail. Stitch the openings as tightly as possible. Sprinkle with about 1/3 cup of the remaining blackening rub, patting it in with your fingers. Turn the turkey breast-side up, then sprinkle with all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining rub; reserve the 1 tablesppon for the gravy. Tie the ends of the drumsticks together with kitchen twine and form the turkey into a natural turkey shape; tie lengths of twine around the middle of the turkey to secure it.
16. Soak the wood chips in water for 1 hour. Heat the grill as directed for medium-low indirect heat. Drain about 1 cup of wood chips and scatter them over the coals on the grill. If using gas, drain the wood chips and put them in a smoker box or in a perforated foil packet directly over one of the heated burners. Heat the gas grill to high until you see plenty of smoke, then turn the heat to low.
17. Put the turducken breast-side up on the roasting rack in the roasting pan. Put the roasting pan on the grill away from the heat, cover the grill, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the turducken registers about 165°F, about 7 to 8 hours. If your grill has a temperature gauge, it should stay between 250° and 300°F. If you are using charcoal, you will have to replenish the coals every hour or so. Also replenish the wood chips or chunks every hour or so. For the most even browning, rotate the pan a few times during cooking. If the turducken browns too soon, lower the heat and cover the bird with foil.
18. About 15 minutes before the turkey reaches temperature, heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the extra stuffings from the refrigerator. Moisten the cornbread stuffing with ½ to 1 cup poultry stock (more if you like very moist stuffing). Moisten the oyster stuffing with 1½ to 2 cups poultry stock. Scrape the cornbread stuffing into a 1-quart baking dish and the oyster stuffing into a 2-quart baking dish. Bake until the tops are browned and the stuffings are heated through, 15 to 30 minutes (less for the cornbread stuffing, more for the oyster stuffing).
19. When the turkey reaches doneness, use grill mitts to remove it to a carving board, and cover it with foil to keep warm. Let rest for about 30 minutes. Remove the rack from the roasting pan and spoon off or drain all but about ½ cup of fat from the drippings (see Tips).
20. For the gravy, put the roasting pan of drippings on a burner heated to medium. Add 5 cups of the poultry stock and the reserved tablespoon of blackening rub. Bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. Boil for 5 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Strain into a gravy boat.
21. To carve the turducken, remove the twine. Remove the legs and wings and cut into sections. Grab one end of the thread that is stitching up the back and pull; it will all come out. Cut the turducken in half lengthwise, then slice the breast crosswise in straight slices from one side to the other; because all of the bones have been removed, you will get perfect slices surrounding layers of meat and stuffing with a core of hard-cooked eggs. Serve with the gravy and extra baked stuffings.

Boy Scouts are a resourceful bunch. David learned how to build a wood fire on Boy Scout camping trips when he was a kid, but he didn’t hear about this Scout trick for cooking a whole turkey until he was in his late twenties. Trash-can turkey has since become a novel way to cook a whole bird at tailgates and other outdoor grill parties. The method’s genius is its simplicity. Drive a stake into the ground, impale a turkey on the stake, then invert a metal trash can over the staked turkey to create an oven. All that’s left to add is the heat. You burn a bag of charcoal, or use campfire coals, and shovel the hot coals on top of and around the metal trash can. The method is perfect for campfire cooking because it uses minimal equipment. Plus the turkey cooks quickly and stays moist due to the intense heat surrounding the can and the enclosed environment inside of this makeshift oven. Try this grill project at your next party. It’s sure to impress your guests (and feed them well).

TIMING
Prep: 5 minutes (plus 5 minutes for rub)
Rest before grilling: 2 hours or overnight
Grill: 1½ to 2 hours.

BBQ TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
- Clean 20-gallon steel trash can, 2½ to 3 feet tall
- 1 metal stake, 1 to 2 inches in diameter and 18 to 24 inches long (see Tips)
- Insulated grill mitts, preferably heat-resistant silicone.

TIPS
- Leave plenty of time to thaw the turkey if it’s frozen. A 10- to 12-pound turkey takes 1 to 2 days to thaw in the refrigerator or about 6 hours to thaw in continually replenished cold water in the sink.
• If you don’t have a sturdy stake or you’re on pavement or impervious ground, prop the bird up on a vertical roasting rack set on an inverted cast-iron or other heatproof Dutch oven.
- A 20-pound bag of charcoal should be plenty to cook the turkey. But if the weather is cold, the coals may burn out before the turkey is done. In that case, just add more hot coals until the turkey is finished cooking.
- We did some research into the safety of trash-can turkey because the FDA recommends against cooking any food on galvanized steel. The question is, can you safely cook near galvanized steel, as could happen with trash-can turkey? The answer, from Richard Tavoletti, executive director of the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), is yes. Some trash cans are made with galvanized steel and others aren’t, so the easiest way to sidestep the issue is to use a can that’s not galvanized. But even if you use a galvanized steel trash can, the zinc coating on the steel (the galvanizing material) will not get hot enough to become airborne and migrate from the can to the food. In the trash-can turkey method, the can never touches the food, so it is safe. Even if the trash can grazes the turkey slightly (which is unlikely), the food will not have been in contact with the hot steel long enough to impart any significant zinc residue to the food. We figured trash-can turkey was safe because Scoutmasters have been roasting birds this way for decades. But researching the issue gave us the reassurance we needed to pass the recipe along to you.

THE GRILL
Charcoal: Indirect heat, medium ash
20 pounds charcoal No grill grate
Wood:
Indirect heat, medium ash
8 to 10 quarts burning embers (from 6 to 10 split logs)
No grill grate.

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 12 TO 14 SERVINGS)
1 turkey, 10 to 12 pounds, thawed if frozen, giblets removed
½ cup Sage and Savory Rub
1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash the turkey inside and out with cold water and remove any visible pockets of fat. Pat dry.
2. Rub a few tablespoons of the rub onto the walls of the bird’s interior cavities. Rub the oil all over the skin of the turkey, then sprinkle with the remaining rub, patting it in with your fingers. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight for the best flavor. Or cook the bird right away if you’re in a hurry.
3. Choose an area of level ground and clear a spot that’s about 4 feet in diameter. Cover the area with aluminum foil. Drive the stake a few inches into the ground in the center of the foil so that about 15 to 20 inches are still visible above the ground.
4. Burn a wood fire as directed above or light all of the charcoal in a pyramid or in several chimney starters. If lighting batches of coals, they should be ready within 15 minutes of each other.
5. Lower the body cavity of the turkey over the top of the stake as you would lower it over a vertical roasting rack. Position the turkey so that it rests securely on the stake (the top of the stake should be resting on bone rather than meat and skin alone).
6. Invert the trash can over the turkey, positioning it so that the turkey is in the center of the can. Put a few shovelfuls of hot coals on top of the inverted can. Shovel the rest of the coals around the bottom of the can, raking them as high up the sides of the can as possible (4 to 6 inches is fine).
7. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey breast registers about 170°F, 1½ to 2 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.

Pears and cranberries are an inspired combination in flavor (fragrant and milky versus tart and sharp), texture (velvet smoothness versus turgid pop), and color (creamy pale versus eye-popping scarlet). Adding a confetti of blackened flecks from the grill only increases the delight.

TIMING
Prep: About 10 minutes
Grill: 6 to 9 minutes.

BBQ TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
- Long-handled spatula
- Grill screen.

THE GRILL
Gas: Direct heat, medium-high (400° to 450°F)
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal: Direct heat, light ash
Clean, oiled grate on medium setting.

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 12 TO 14 SERVINGS)
Oil for coating grill screen
4 Bartlett pears or 12 Seckel pears
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound cranberries, fresh or frozen
11/3 cups sugar, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla vinegar (or 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract).

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the grill as directed. Oil the grill screen and put it on the grill.
2. Peel the pears, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the core with a small melon baller. If using Bartlett pears, cut each pear half in half again lengthwise. Toss the pears in a medium bowl with the 2 teaspoons oil until evenly coated.
3. Put the pears on the oiled grill screen; cover and cook until the pears are browned and barely tender, about 3 minutes per side (6 minutes total for Seckel pears, 9 minutes total for Bartlett pears).
4. Cut the pears into bite-size chunks; set aside.
5. Combine the cranberries and sugar in a large saucepan and cook, covered, over medium heat until the cranberries burst, about 4 minutes, stirring as needed. Taste for sweetness and add a little more sugar, if needed. Add the pears and simmer for a minute more. Stir in the vanilla vinegar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you miss cooking the stuffing in the bird, you can get the same flavor by drizzling a little bit of the turkey drippings into the stuffing before serving. And if you insist on serving it directly from the carcass, stuff it into the turkey after it is cooked. But whatever you do, don’t stuff the turkey when it is raw. You will – Grill screen lengthen the cooking time unnecessarily, and you will cause the surface to overcook before the interior ever reaches a safe temperature.

TIMING
Prep: About 20 minutes (plus 5 minutes for rub)
Grill: 10 to 14 minutes.

BBQ TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
- Long-handled tongs
- Long-handled spatula
- Grill screen.

THE GRILL
Gas: Direct heat, medium-high (400° to 450°F)
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal: Direct heat, light ash
Clean, oiled grate on medium setting.

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 12 TO 14 SERVINGS)
Oil for coating grill screen
2 large onions (about 12 ounces each), cut into ½-inch-thick slices
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned
4 ribs celery
1 large loaf (about 24 ounces) good-quality white sandwich bread, about 18 slices
4 large apples, peeled, cored, and halved
No-stick spray oil
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons Tuscan Rosemary Rub
2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, melted.

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the grill as directed. Oil the grill screen and put it on the grill.
2. Coat the onions, mushrooms, celery, apples, and bread slices on all sides with spray oil. Put the vegetables on the grill screen and grill until browned and tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a large bowl. Grill the bread slices for 1 minute per side. Put in the bowl.
3. Cut the vegetables and bread into bite-size pieces, and toss with the chicken broth, apple cider, Tuscan rub, and butter until well combined. Put in an oven-to-table serving dish, cover, and keep warm in a 200°F oven for up to 2 hours.

Turkey gets burnished gold on the grill, and the method is effortless. You can literally put it on and forget about it (except for replenishing the charcoal every hour or so). The turkey is cooked in a roasting pan so that you can catch its drippings for the apple cider jus.

TIMING
Prep: 30 to 40 minutes (plus 5 minutes for rub)
Grill: 3 to 4 hours.

BBQ TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
- Marinade injector
- Heavy-duty roasting pan with roasting rack
- Heat-resistant grill mitts
- Kitchen twine.

THE GRILL
Gas:
Indirect heat, medium (325° to 350°F)
3- or 4-burner grill – middle burner(s) off
2-burner grill – 1 side off
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal:
Indirect heat, medium ash
Split charcoal bed (about 2 dozen coals per side)
60 to 80 replacement coals
Heavy-duty drip pan set between banks of charcoal
Clean, oiled grate on medium setting.

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 12 TO 14 SERVINGS)
4 cups apple cider
½ cup chicken broth
5 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
3 teaspoons Tuscan Rosemary Rub
1 fresh turkey, 12 to 14 pounds
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste.

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the grill as directed.
2. To make the basting liquid, heat ½ cup of the cider, the broth, 3 tablespoons of the butter, and 1 teaspoon of the Tuscan rub in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Cool to room temperature. This can be made a day ahead.
3. Wash the turkey inside and out with cold water and remove any visible pockets of fat. Pat dry. Rub 1 teaspoon Tuscan rub onto the walls of the interior cavity. Set on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.
4. Strain the basting liquid into a small bowl. Fill the injector with as much basting liquid as it will hold. Inject 1 ounce (30 cc) into each thigh and drumstick and each side of the breast, making several injections into each part. Pour and rub the remaining basting liquid over the outside of the turkey.
5. Put the roasting pan on the grill away from the heat, cover, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers about 170°F, 3 to 4 hours, depending on the turkey’s weight. If your grill has a temperature gauge, it should register around 350°F during that time. If you are using charcoal, you will probably have to replenish the coals every hour.
6. When the turkey is done, use grill mitts to remove it to a carving board, and cover it with foil to keep warm. Remove the rack from the roasting pan and put the roasting pan on a burner heated to medium. Add the remaining 3½ cups apple cider and 1 teaspoon Tuscan rub. Bring to a boil, scraping any brown bits clinging to the bottom of the pan into the jus. Boil for 2 minutes, remove from the heat, and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and strain into a serving dish.
7. Carve the turkey and serve with the apple cider jus on the side.

The pre-prep when making Peking duck, one of the epitomes of Chinese cuisine, includes pumping it with air, tying off the neck, and fanning it for hours as the skin dries. This process is so complex and arcane that culinary war stories hardly ever mention how the duck is roasted. This recipe doesn’t skimp on any steps and will no doubt provide you with your own battle tales, but the difference here is what happens to the flavor when you roast the duck over coals. The skin crisps like a single layer of lacquer, and the meat gets a smoky nuance that deepens its traditional salty-sweet profile. The recipe calls for serving it traditionally with hoisin sauce and pancakes. If you want to skip that presentation, the duck is delicious all by itself.

TIMING
Prep: 30 minutes (plus 5 minutes for Peking crackle)
Dry: 2 hours
Grill: About 1 hour.

BBQ TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
- Small bicycle pump with a needle attachment, or a marinade injector
- Heavy-duty cotton kitchen twine
- Electric fan
- Roasting rack
- Disposable aluminum roasting pan
- Long-handled basting brush.

SHORTCUT
- To make a simpler version of Peking duck, see the Grilled Peking-Style Chicken.

CREPES
Makes about 12 crepes
¾ cup flour
¾ cup water
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 eggs
No-stick spray oil for coating pan.

1. Mix the flour, water, and salt with a whisk in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
2. Heat a small, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Spray very lightly with oil. Make crepes in the hot skillet by pouring a few tablespoons of batter into the skillet. Swirl to cover the bottom of the skillet, and pour the excess batter back into the bowl. Cook for about 30 seconds; the edges of the crepe will dry and it will be set across the surface. Flip the crêpe and cook for 5 or 10 seconds. Slip onto a plate and make another crepe. Don’t spray the skillet with more oil until the crepes start to stick slightly, after about 6 crepes. Keep the crepes covered until ready to serve.

THE GRILL
Gas:
Indirect heat, medium-high (350° to 375°F)
3- or 4-burner grill – middle burner(s) off
2-burner grill – 1 side off
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal:
Indirect heat, medium ash
Split charcoal bed (about 2 dozen coals per side)
Heavy-duty drip pan set between banks of charcoal
Clean, oiled grate on medium setting
Wood:
Indirect heat, medium ash
12-by-12-inch bed, 3 inches deep
Clean, oiled grate set 4 inches above the fire.

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 4 SERVINGS)
1 Long Island duckling, about 4½ pounds, visible fat removed
1 cup Peking Crackle
12 crepes (recipe at left)
2 scallions, roots trimmed, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce.

DIRECTIONS
1. Extend the plunger of the bicycle pump and insert the needle just under the skin at the neck end of the duck. Depress the plunger, and the skin around the needle will puff up. Continue to pump air under the duck skin in the same way until the skin has been separated from the meat all over the breast and legs (see illustration).

2. Heat a kettle of water to boiling. Put the duck, breast-side up, in a strainer set in a sink. Pour the boiling water over the duck. Hook a chopstick under the wings of the duck to hold them away from the body. Tie a string around the neck and hang the duck by the string over a sink or a large drip pan. Put an electric fan in front of the duck and blow air directly on it for about an hour to dry the skin. 3. Brush the duck with half of the Peking crackle and dry for another hour.
4. While the duck is drying, prepare the crepes.
5. Heat the grill as directed.
6. Put the duck, breast-side up, on a rack set in a disposable roasting pan. Put the pan on the grill away from the heat, cover the grill, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F about 1 hour, basting with the remaining glaze halfway through. If your grill has an external thermometer, it should stay at around 375°F during that time.
7. Remove the duck to a cutting board. Carve it as you would a chicken (see page 184). Lift the skin from the meat and cut it into strips. Cut the meat into large, bite-size chunks. Arrange the meat on a platter scattered with scallions and strips of crisp skin. Serve with the hoisin sauce and crêpes for rolling.