Pellegrini/Lancelotti Barbecued Turkey on a Covered Grill

Best friends Henry Lancelotti and Vincent Pellegrini were both enthusiastic grill masters.  The two families often got together for afternoons of great barbecue paired with great wines from the Pellegrini estate.  The families’ lifelong friendship ultimately resulted in the marriage of Richard Pellegrini and Janet Lancelotti in 1976.  Today, this delicious recipe for Barbecued Turkey has become a Fourth of July tradition in Rick and Janet’s home and a favorite among their extended family and friends.  Serve with roasted potatoes and yams, cranberry sauce, fresh peas, and glasses of Olivet Lane Estate Pinot Noir.  Enjoy, and Happy Fourth!  - Rick & Janet

STUFFING:
2 carrots, cut in 2”sticks
3 stalks of celery, cut in 2” sticks
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
2 lemons, squeezed for the juice
3 lemons, cut in quarters
8 cloves of garlic
4 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
3    tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 cube butter
Salt and pepper

TURKEY PREPARATION:

• Free legs from tucked position and remove neck from the body cavity.
• Remove the giblets from the neck cavity.
• Rinse the turkey and drain well.
• Prepare the vegetable stuffing.  Simmer _ cube of butter for ten minutes or until vegetables are a bit limp.
• With _ cube of softened butter rub the inside of the turkey’s neck and back cavities. With your fingers, try to rub butter under the skin of the breast area. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Fill the neck cavity with vegetable stuffing and fasten neck skin back with a turkey lacer to secure stuffing.
• Fill the body cavity and secure opening with three skewers and lace closed with string.
• Tuck legs together and tie wings to body. Put aluminum foil on wings’ tips.

BASTING:

• 1 cube of butter
• Pellegrini Chardonnay
• 3 lemons, quartered
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• Salt and pepper
• Simmer the butter and add the wine.
• Blend the lemon and rosemary to make a pulp and add it to the wine.
• When the butter thickens, rub on the outside of the turkey.
• Season with salt and pepper.

GRILLING:

• Bank 25-30 medium glowing coals on each side of the fire grill with a metal drip pan in the center.
• Place grill 4-6 inches above the drip pan.
• Grease grill lightly.
• Place bird in the center of the grill, breast side up, over the drip pan and close the lid.
• Cook about 10 minutes per pound, basting every 30 minutes. The cooking time will vary with the size of the bird and the heat of the fire. Each time you baste, you should add at least six more briquettes to each side of the fire to keep it at an even temperature. After the first 30 minutes, wearing mitts, I pick up the turkey and turn it back side up until it’s time for the next basting. This helps to color the whole bird evenly. During the last 30-minute cycle cut loose the wings and free the legs. The turkey is ready when it reaches the temperature of 165° F to 170° F (check the limbs, they should have a certain amount of motion).

Note: Keep in mind that every barbeque pit varies on heat retention. Cooking times may need to be adjusted accordingly.