Apples on apples on apples: cider in the brine, apples in the slaw and a cold cider on the side if you're clever.

The apple flavor from the cider brine, plus the apple cider glaze really sings in this smoked breast recipe. On this hunt, we were in the heart of Texas barbecue country, arguably the best barbecue region in the world, so applying some of the smoke from the copious hardwoods that abound in the area seemed natural. Here, I’m using a combination of the woods found in the river bottoms we are hunting and the turkeys are roosted in: oak and pecan.

Serve this smoked turkey warm on a sandwich (with another dose of apples in the form of slaw) with spicy chips or cold as an appetizer. Soaking thin slices of potatoes in a hot sauce brine imparts a great, sour flavor to some homemade potato chips.

Serves 4 

Brine

1 pint hard apple cider

¼ cup salt

1 head garlic, halved

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp juniper berries

1 tbsp coriander seeds

Glaze

1 pint hard apple cider

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp black pepper, ground

20 ounces turkey breast (top lobe works best)

Apple Slaw

1 ½ cups finely shredded red or green cabbage

1 apple, shredded

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp prepared horseradish

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar or honey

½ tsp celery seed

Salt and pepper

Assembly

8 slices quality rye bread

2 tbsp butter

Make the brine: combine 2 cups water, the salt, garlic, brown sugar, juniper and coriander seeds in a small pot over high heat. Heat until the salt is dissolved, then add the apple cider and cool completely in a non-reactive container. Once chilled, add the turkey breast and refrigerate for 12 hours. Remove the breast from the brine and dry well. Discard the brine.

Make the glaze: in a small pot over high heat, boil the apple cider and honey until reduced to ½ cup, about 10 minutes. Add the black pepper and set aside.

Preheat a smoker to 275°F. Smoke the breast until the internal temperature is 150°F, brushing with the apple cider glaze every 30 minutes. 

Make the slaw: combine the cabbage, apple, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar and celery seed in a bowl and season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

To assemble, toast the bread in the butter and slice the warm turkey breast into ½” thick slices. Drain any excess liquid from the slaw. Divide the turkey among 4 pieces of toasted bread and top with the slaw, then engage the top slice of toasted bread. 

Turkey Pepper and Vinegar Chips

4 medium Yukon gold potatoes

1 cup Turkey Pepper Vinegar (see The Turkey Book, page ?)

Fat or oil for frying

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp fine salt

Combine the vinegar with 2 cups of cold water. Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible (I use a mandoline) into the water. Refrigerate for a few hours and up to 2 days.

Heat a deep fryer to 350°F. Mix together the salt and sugar. Drain the potatoes very well, then fry until crisp and starting to turn a light golden brown, about 6 minutes. Drain very well on a rack. Immediately sprinkle the chips evenly with the salt, sugar and garlic mixture. Serve hot or at room temperature.