Let's talk turkey.

"How was the turkey? Was it dry?"

If this phrase is not being whispered or murmured at dinner tables across the country, it is certainly banging around in every cook's head during the holiday meal. Even though countless men and women are burning up the Butterball Hotline, too many birds are being served overcooked and dried out or, worse yet, they are undercooked and must be thrown back into the oven for another hour or so, leaving grumbling guests to their own devices to pass the time and curb their hunger. The elusive bird is the piece de resistance at the holiday table, and if the turkey isn't quite what he should be, a dim shadow is cast upon the meal and even the cook himself. That particular holiday will always and forever be recalled with remarks such as "Remember when we went to the Smiths' for the holidays? The turkey was quite dry and difficult to swallow, anyway," or "You made a great coconut cake last Thanksgiving ... The turkey was a bit overcooked, but the cake was delicious."

Mastering the art of the holiday turkey can seem daunting for the novice as well as the well-seasoned cook. Timing is everything when preparing and serving the main course for a crowd that inevitably will include several, if not all, very opinionated family members. Planning ahead and anticipating the possible time-related mishap, along with serving a few amazing appetizers, is the savvy cook's answer for the ultimate holiday meal.

When I cooked my first bird for my rather large family, I painstakingly followed the precise directions from my mentor, Martha Stewart, and carefully placed sage leaves decoratively under the slippery skin and then massaged olive oil, salt, and pepper into the skin. He was then wrapped in cheesecloth, doused with more olive oil, and marinated for 12 hours. Thanksgiving day began very early in order to get him in the oven at the appropriate time to make certain he could hit the holiday table at 2 p.m. Not being a big fan of the giblet gravy that is served with cornbread dressing, that job was left to my mother, who can make anything. She combines the livers, hearts, and some chicken stock with heavy cream, salt, and pepper and then serves it in a beautiful silver gravy boat for all of the liver-lovers to enjoy. However, when it came time for the gravy-making process, the innards were nowhere to be found. I searched everywhere and finally decided that my bird had obviously been packaged without the appropriate parts for the gravy. We would just have to skip it--it wasn't that important after all, and I knew I certainly wasn't going to miss it. But as I started carving the beautiful, golden brown bird, perfectly roasted just as Martha had promised, out popped the bag of organs, still intact and cooked nicely. I felt ill. Who put those in there? Was this a trick bird? My mother quickly whisked them away, chopped them to a rough dice, and combined them with the other ingredients; giblet gravy was on its way. No one was ever the wiser, and I learned fast that mothers are wonderful--if not essential--at crunch time.

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of ways to cook the perfect turkey. We now have access to just about any size and type of bird, ranging from 10 pounds to 24, organic to free-range, pre-cooked to pre-marinated. The turkey breast alone can be purchased for an intimate gathering of a few and can be roasted, smoked, barbecued, or deep fried.

My friend Elizabeth Karmel, who authored Taming the Flame and created her own line of grilling products, taught me the art of brining a turkey. This was a relatively new process to me, and I learned what an incredible difference this can make in not only the flavor of your turkey but also the moisture content of the meat. Brining is basically submerging the meat in a sugar-salt, water-based marinade for several hours and then cooking the bird however you like. This method of marinating, long popular for other meats, has seldom been used for the turkey because of its large and cumbersome size. Elizabeth remedied this problem by designing a brining bag that fits the bird perfectly and seals securely. Best of all, everything is disposable. The texture of the meat is incredibly moist and tender, and the flavor is subtly enhanced by the ingredients of the marinade.

Generally, for a large gathering, I like to roast a large, whole bird in the oven and then invite my brother over to deep-fry a Cajun-style breast. Along with this, he brings a wild turkey breast, which he cuts into strips, fries, and serves with comeback sauce as an appetizer. The fried wild turkey is the absolute favorite hors d'oeuvre of the holiday meal, and it never lasts very long. If you are late, then you've missed it and you must move on to the relish tray and eat olives. The variety and abundance of turkey is kicked up a notch, and there is something for everyone's taste, ranging from traditional to a bit trendy.

The post-meal kitchen can push the proud cook right over the edge when faced with the giant, massacred bird that is still perched on his platter. Leftovers are wanted, but not at this moment. One year, I gave the whole carcass to my Labrador, and that was not a good idea. I just knew I wanted it out of my kitchen. We found it later in the living room, the bedroom ... actually almost every room of the house.

There are endless opinions and ideas that are deemed recipes for the excess turkey meat, some worth trying and others that assert that pouring a can of soup over cooked meat renders a delectable dish. Use good judgment here--if it sounds sketchy, then it probably is.

Over the last few decades, I have learned a couple of fresh takes on leftovers that go a bit beyond turkey tetrazzini and sandwiches. Smoked Turkey Salad, which was adapted from one of my own chicken salad recipes, is a remix of smoked turkey, dried cranberries, and fresh dill, while the Plantation Sandwich is an odd combination of sorts, uniting smoked turkey with asparagus, fried bacon, and cornbread. It's topped with a lemony hollandaise sauce, and the resulting flavor is amazing. This sandwich only works with canned asparagus; fresh asparagus changes the entire flavor of the recipe (believe me, I tried). The possibilities are endless with leftover turkey; it's versatile and satisfying and can feed your family for days with a little imagination.

Step out a bit this holiday season with your turkey; embrace him and enjoy him in whichever manner you decide. Embark on some new traditions of your own, creating memories for your family to look back on fondly, really tasty ones that begin with "Remember last Thanksgiving? You know, the one that we had that amazing turkey?"

PLANTATION SANDWICHES

1 package cornbread mix
2 cans asparagus
12 slices smoked turkey
12 to 14 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Bake cornbread according to package directions in a 9-inch
round iron skillet. Remove from pan, and cut into 6 wedges.
Slice each wedge in half to make sandwich. Warm asparagus
in microwave or on top of stove. To assemble, place 1 piece of
cornbread on plate, and add 2 slices turkey and 3-4 pieces asparagus.
Top with second piece of cornbread. Place a spoonful
of Easy Hollandaise Sauce on top of sandwich, and sprinkle liberally
with crumbled bacon. Serve warm. Yield: 6 sandwiches.

EASY HOLLANDAISE SAUCE:

3 egg yolks
Juice of 2 lemons
1 stick butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Bring water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler.
Place egg yolks and lemon juice in top bowl. Whisk eggs constantly
until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat, and
continue to whisk, adding butter one piece at a time until completely
incorporated. Serve immediately. Yield: 1 cup.

SMOKED TURKEY SALAD

2 cuffs smoked turkey chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh dill
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 drops Tabasco red pepper sauce

In a howl, mix together smoked turkey, celery, almonds, cranberries,
and dill. Combine mayonnaise with lemon juice, and gently fold into
turkey mixture. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Serve on
toasted bread slices as a sandwich or on lettuce leaves as a salad.
Yield: 4 servings.

ROAST TURKEY

1 (16- to 18-pound) brined turkey
  (recipe follows)
Fresh sage leaves
1 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cheesecloth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After
brining, pat turkey dry, and loosen skin
around breast. Working just under the
skin, continue loosening while placing
sage leaves between the skin and
breast meat. Generously rub olive oil,
salt, and pepper over entire bird. Wrap
cheesecloth securely around bird, and
pour remaining olive oil over bird. The
cheesecloth should be thoroughly saturated
with olive oil. Place turkey, breast
side up, on a flat rack in a roasting pan,
and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Roast for 11-13 minutes per pound, and
remove foil the last hour of cooking to
thoroughly brown turkey. Using an instant-read
thermometer inserted in the
thickest part of the thigh (not touching
the bone), turkey is done when the temperature
registers 185 degrees and juices
run clear. Remove cheesecloth from turkey,
and transfer to a serving platter; let
stand for 15-20 minutes before carving.

BASIC BRINE:

8 quarts cold water, divided
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 Grill Friends Turkey Brining Bag
  (available at gourmet food stores or
   www.girlsatthegrill.com)

Boil 2 quarts water; add salt and sugar,
stirring until completely dissolved. Add
remaining water, and let cool. Add turkey
and brine to bag. Seal bag tightly,
making sure all excess air is removed.
Place in an empty vegetable crisper or on
a tray on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator.
Brine for 12-24 hours, turning occasionally.
Remove turkey from bag, and
pat dry. Dispose of bag and liquid. Roast
or grill turkey according to recipe. Yield:
2 gallons brine.

FRIED WILD TURKEY

1 cup Crystal hot sauce
2 cups buttermilk
1 whole wild turkey breast, cleaned and cut
  into strips
Vegetable oil for frying
2 cups flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

Mix hot sauce with buttermilk, and
add turkey. Let soak for 30 minutes to
1 hour. Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep-sided
pan to 350 degrees. Remove turkey
from buttermilk, and dredge in seasoned
flour, shaking off excess. Fry in batches
until golden brown, then drain on paper
towels. Serve with Comeback Sauce.

COMEBACK SAUCE:

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups chile sauce
2 teaspoons mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
1 1/2 clips oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, grated
1/2 cup lemon juice
Tabasco red pepper sauce to taste

Mix all ingredients in a food processor
until smooth. Check seasonings, and
adjust to taste. Yield: 6 cups.

SMOKED TURKEY BREAST

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sherry or apple cider
Juice of I lemon
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 (3- to 3 1/2-pound) skinless turkey breast

Place all ingredients except turkey in a
saucepan; heat until butter melts. Wash
turkey, and pat dry; marinate in honey
mixture in a Ziploc bag for up to 24 hours.
Remove from bag; discard marinade. Prepare
a smoker using wood chips that have
been soaked in water. When chips begin
to smoke and temperature reaches 250
degrees, place turkey on rack; close lid.
Smoke for 3-4 hours or until temperature
of breast reaches 170 degrees. Let rest for
10 minutes before slicing.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG CAMPBELL