Brine the turkey: In a large pot, combine the brine ingredients and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and salt have dissolved, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and chill, uncovered, in the fridge until cool, about 1 hour. Make ahead: Once chilled, the brine can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Rinse the turkey and neck, and place inside a 5-gallon container (or a large cooler). Pour the chilled brine over the turkey and top with a heavy plate, submerging the turkey. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours
In a medium bowl, combine the paprika marinade ingredients. Make ahead: The marinade can be made and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse under cold water. Discard the brine. Rinse out the 5-gallon container and return the turkey to it. Pour the paprika marinade over the turkey, rubbing all over the outside and the inner cavity; cover and chill in refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours.
Adjust the rack to the lower third of the oven, and preheat it to 400°
Cut off the turkey's wing tips, reserving them, and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Combine the turkey neck, wing tips, red onions, carrots and bay leaves in a large roasting pan. Place the turkey on top, breast-side up, and rub with the salt and ¼ cup of the marinade.
Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until the skin is browned, 40 to 50 minutes, basting the bird and rotating the pan halfway through roasting, covering any dark spots with aluminum foil.
Lower the oven to 300°. Baste the turkey with marinade and pour 1 cup of water into the pan, creating steam to help cook the turkey. Continue to roast the turkey, rotating the pan and basting every 30 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches just under 160°, 1½ to 2 hours. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest in the roasting pan for 30 minutes before carving. Serve with the pan drippings and roasted vegetables.
Here is a great marinade for grilled Jerk chicken using Chef Cherie's Jamaican Jerk spice blend. Includes allspice, cloves, fennel, garlic, ginger, mustard, onion, paprika, black pepper, red pepper flakes and thyme.
Here is a great marinade for grilled Jerk chicken using Chef Cherie's Jamaican Jerk spice blend. Includes allspice, cloves, fennel, garlic, ginger, mustard, onion, paprika, black pepper, red pepper flakes and thyme.
Make the jerk marinade: Add Jamaican Jerk spice blend, lime zest and juice, canola oil and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend or process until smooth.
Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and put on kitchen gloves (see note below). Place the chicken into a large bowl and slather the marinade all over the chicken using your hands, then transfer the chicken to the wire rack. Refrigerate the chicken, uncovered, for at least 4 hours or up to 36 hours.
When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator, wiping off any excess marinade. Transfer to a plate and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal grill for indirect grilling: Fill a chimney starter with lump hardwood charcoal and ignite. Let the charcoal burn until it has become ashy white.
Pour out the charcoal and pile it up on one side of the grill, covering half of the bottom grate. Place a foil pan filled halfway with water next to the charcoal. Add half of the soaked allspice berries and half of the bay leaves to the charcoal and allow to smolder. Place the top grate on top. Close the lid and let the grill heat to between 250° and 300°.
Arrange the chicken, skin-side up, on the grate, with the legs pointing toward the heat source, over the foil pan. Close the lid and open the bottom and lid vents halfway. Position the lid so that the top grill vent is on the opposite side of the fire. Cook the chicken, undisturbed, adding more charcoal as needed to maintain the temperature, for 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 150° to 155° when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.
Uncover the grill and drop the remaining allspice berries and bay leaves over the charcoal using tongs. Once the allspice berries and bay leaves begin to smoke, transfer the chicken to the hot side of the grill and continue to cook, flipping often, until the skin is lightly charred and crisp and the thigh reads 165° on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to a work surface and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with rice and beans and lime wedges.
Recipe Notes
Note: Be mindful when you're working with Scotch bonnet peppers: You'll want to wear gloves when you rub the marinade onto the chicken, or the heat may stick to your hands for a day.
