Thanksgiving Recipes - Grilled Turkey with Celery Walnut Pesto

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Nov 11th 2009 @ 2:45PM

Turkey gets a light and flavorful twist courtesy of Tyler Florence -- you won't want to wait until Thanksgiving to make it.

Get the recipe to this classic along with many others after the jump.

Grilled Turkey with Celery Walnut Pesto
Provided by Tyler Florence

1 (12 to 14 pound) fresh turkey
1 juice from lemon
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup unsalted walnuts
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1 cup flat leaf parsley
2 cups celery leaves
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano -- grated
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Have your butcher cut the turkey into 4 pieces. (Save the neck and backbone for the gravy.) Lay the pieces out on a platter and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Now prepare the pesto. Toast the walnuts in a hot oven, approximately 350 F, until golden brown. When done season immediately with salt and then set aside to cool. Toast pine nuts in a saute pan over medium heat (if not already toasted) and set aside. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil into the blender to achieve a smooth consistency, but still has texture. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

To cook the turkey, heat the grill to medium and wipe the grate with some olive oil. Put the turkey on the grill, and cook for 30 minutes. Turn the bird over and continue grilling, basting with more olive oil for another 30 minutes. Test the internal temperature of the thigh with a meat thermometer. Turkey is done when thermometer reads 180 F.

Set aside, cover with foil, and let it rest for about 10 minutes before carving. Serve with a healthy coating of celery-walnut pesto over the top.

Find more Thanksgiving turkey recipe ideas on KitchenDaily.com

Filed Under: Holidays, Recipes
Tags: fall, poultry, thanksgiving, thanksgiving recipes, turkey, turkey recipes, tyler florence