Roasted Smoked Chickens with Caramelized Turnips

Poulets Fumés Rôtis aux Raves Caramelisés

Preparation info
  • Yield

    6

    servings
    • Difficulty

      Medium

Appears in
Savoie: The Land, People, and Food of the French Alps

By Madeleine Kamman

Published 1989

  • About

The baby purple turnips arrive in the markets in May and are no larger than an inch. If you have only larger turnips, quarter them and turn their angles to prevent breakage during cooking. Do not undercook the turnips; they must melt in the mouth.

Ingredients

  • 2 chickens, pounds each, preferably free-range
  • Kosher salt as needed
  • 1

Method

Truss the chickens. Pour a gallon of water into a large stainless steel bowl. Add enough kosher salt to make an egg float on its surface. Add the brown sugar and stir very well. Pepper the chickens’ cavities and add the chickens to the pot. Let them soak in the brine 30 minutes. Smoke the chickens 1 hour (use whichever smoker you have, following the directions carefully). Brush the chickens wit