Did a 7kg (15 lb) turkey yesterday. My wife, who’s Canadian, loves turkey at Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. So compared to most Australians, I cook turkey a lot. It’s not a very popular protein here, but I’d like to see that change.

I use a 5% salt-to-water brine (about 10 litres / 2.75 gallons), which I find is the sweet spot for a bird this size. I cook turkey so often that I actually have a dedicated cooler for the job. I make the brine and then add ice to keep everything cold.

I only brine for about 4 hours. I prefer a shorter brine — mainly to ensure the bird is properly seasoned inside and out without overdoing it. In the brine I’ll throw in some fresh herbs from the garden: bay, rosemary, and thyme.

Once it’s out, I dry the bird completely and season it with salt, pepper, dehydrated onion, and some dried herbs, plus a bit of Bad Byron Butt Rub for colour.

I use an Oklahoma Joe turkey hanger with a Turbo Trusser, which keeps the bird sitting nicely in position. It goes into the drum at 300–325°F for about 3 hours, then I bump the heat slightly to help finish and crisp up the skin.

I light the fire on the opposite side near the vents (my drum runs a bit like a Gateway).

Personally, I think hanging turkeys is my favourite way to cook them over fire. The breast actually cooks more evenly being closer to the heat. You’d think it would dry out, but it doesn’t — maybe because it’s the largest part of the bird.

My sister brought around a really nice sourdough baguette, so I sliced it, buttered it, and pulled all the oyster meat and the dark meat around the backbone. I reckon that’s some of the best meat on the bird.

I took the skin from the breasts and threw it back on the grill over the fire to make a sort of turkey crackling. Then I chopped the meat up, put it on the bread, and topped it with gravy, crackling, and fresh herbs.

It ended up being one of the better turkeys I’ve done, so I thought I’d share.

Any questions, let me know — I’d love to hear your thoughts. Cheers!

Some shots from my Easter Turkey Cook.