Poultry Cajun Smoked Turkey

[Mike]

I'm itching to smoke a turkey and came across this very promising looking cajun smoked turkey. What do you guys think?

Brine
Start with 2 quarts of water in a large pot over medium high heat. Add 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of salt, and ½ cup of Cajun seasoning (recipe is below). Bring this mixture to a boil and stir occasionally until the dry ingredients dissolve.

Pour the mixture into a gallon container and add 2 ribs of celery (chopped), 1 medium size onion (chopped), 6 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns, 4 Bay leaves, 1 bundle of poultry herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage) and the juice of 2 lemons. Top the mixture off with 2 quarts of water and let it steep for an hour at room temp.

 

[Tennessee Bound]

I have 15 pound Turkey in the freezer and have been trying to figure out when and what to do with it. Just got the Gobbler out of the freezer and put it in the Porch fridge for a Slow Thaw, Going to do This on Monday!

 

[SmokeZilla]

I use a similar approach with roasting hens (chicken) but add a lot more kick and use a compound butter to crisp up the skin. I also pull at 160 breast and 170 thigh to compensate for the carry over, especially if you cook at 300F. YMMV.
Good luck with your cook.