Method
Put all of the brine ingredients into your pot. Drop the turkey in. Get the turkey all lathered up and then put it into a refrigerator or icebox. Leave for a number of hours - I like to leave it for at least 12 hours.
It’s Christmas morning, everyone is asleep. Except for you. You’re up early to start on your turkey.
Pull the turkey out of the pot and pat it dry, tie the legs up and pop it into a roasting tray along with enough brining liquid to come up the side of the turkey by about an inch. Season with salt and pepper and rub it with oil. Leave to the side.
Time to get the BBQ up and running. Whether you use beads, old-fashioned charcoal, or gas, it does not matter. What important is that you keep the temperature right and maintain the cooking time.
Heat the BBQ up to about 160-170C.
Place the turkey in the centre of the BBQ, but not directly over the flames. Cook for 3-3.5 hours. Make sure that there is always water in the tray so that the meat does not dry out.
To test if the turkey is cooked, use a meat thermometer pierced into the thickest part of the thigh. The turkey is cooked when it has an internal temperature of 80C. If you don't have a thermometer, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a small sharp knife, and check if the juices given off from the meat run clear. If they are at all pink in colour return the turkey to the oven and cook until the juices do run clear.
With an hour to spare, place some boiled potatoes on the grill around the tray and let them cook till golden brown. Easy.
Always leave the turkey to rest for between 30 - 60 minutes before carving; this makes for a really tender, succulent bird. Don't forget the gravy, which is made from using all those lovely juices.