SMOKED TURKEY SALAD

Smoked Turkey Salad image

Provided by Alton Brown

Time 8h15m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 Smoked Turkey Legs, recipe follows
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced apple
1 tablespoon pecans, roasted
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 quarts water, hot
225 grams kosher salt
225 grams dark brown sugar
1100 grams (about 2.5 pounds) ice
6 turkey legs
1 cup unsalted chicken stock

Steps:

Remove the skins from the Smoked Turkey Legs, pull off the meat and chop into 1/2-inch cubes.
Place the turkey, celery, apple, pecans, vinegar, parsley, black pepper and mayonnaise in a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine and serve.
Place the water, kosher salt and brown sugar in an 8-quart plastic container and stir until fully dissolved. Add the ice before submerging the turkey legs in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
Set up your favorite smoker and add a handful of hardwood chunks. If you have heat control, set it to 150 to 170 degrees F and allow the wood to smoke for approximately 30 minutes.
While the smoker is heating, drain the legs, pat them dry and arrange them on a rack. Smoke the legs on the rack for 3 hours, rotating the legs halfway through.
Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Make 2 pouches out of double-layered heavy-duty tin foil, adding 3 legs and 1/2 cup of chicken stock to each pouch. Braise the legs in their pouches for 1 hour, then carefully drain and reserve the jus.
Defat the jus, remove the skins and serve the legs alongside the smoky jus.