I'm not into stunt cooking. If there's a basic way to prepare a meal or a dish, I'm more than happy to try that method first. Simple works just fine.

But I get bored easily.

And let's face it, making a Thanksgiving turkey is a snooze fest after you've done the deed with success more than a few times.

The turkey is a lovely bird with beautiful plumage, but the flavor of the meat, if left to its own devices, offers a fairly bland experience. With very little fat compared with duck or chicken, turkey is the vanilla of poultry.

Cooking one is even more ... meh. You butter the skin, throw some Boy Scout knots around the legs and wings, put it in a pan and slide it into a hot metal box for what seems like an eternity. For grins, you squirt some of its own juices back on the bird.

Yawn.

So, I like to experiment.

My adventures started about seven years ago, after my brother-in-law Bob gave me a turkey fryer for Christmas. I had heard plenty about them, mostly in the news. And mostly what I heard was that it's like cooking with a grease-spattering bomb.

Heh, heh. Cool.

Following all the instructions, I donned my electrician's mitts and dunked that first turkey. The hissing and bubbling and resulting golden, crispy deliciousness hooked me instantly.
The fact that my wife, my mom, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law all stood on the front lawn with worried, disapproving, hands-on-hips glares made me feel like the Evel Knievel of cooking. So I dropped the hanger-shaped hook that lowers the turkey into the oil. A clean Fiskars lawn rake worked just fine as a fishing pole.

Distrusting this Cajun-meets-medieval cooking method, my wife roasted an auxiliary turkey in the oven. What happened? Everyone ate my platter of crispy-on-the-outside, moist-on-the-inside delicious goodness. So there.

Over the years, I've tried just about every method available. I've smoked a turkey, put one in an infrared cooker and roasted a dissected version like Jacques the Ripper. One time, I even made a Thanksgiving dinner in an Easy-Bake oven.

Recently, after receiving a refrigerated 16-pound turkey from Martha Stewart in the mail, I decided to try making a turkey on my grill for the first time. I butterflied and pressed it flat by taking out the backbone, tied the legs and wings into place and added ancho chile-spiced butter as a rub. The smoke from a few applewood chips wrapped in tinfoil on the grill top gave it a Tuscan flavor.

Stewart was selling the turkeys for the first time online at MarthaStewart.com. Raised by Hain Pure Protein's Plainville Farms, the birds were humanely raised on family farms, vegetarian-fed and antibiotic-free with no added growth hormones. (Sorry, but the cut-off date for ordering was Nov. 18.)

The flavor of the grilled hippie turkey was amazing, and it took only two-and-a-half hours, roughly half the time of roasting. Thanks, Martha.

I understand that not everyone wants to push all of their poker chips to the middle of the Thanksgiving table. Not everyone has the stomach to gamble with fate. But if you're bored and considering your options, think about the following factors. And then find a recipe to match your level of adventure.

ROASTING
This is the Tom Hanks of turkey preparation. Nice. Safe. Predictable. Occasionally interesting but more consistent than awe-inspiring.
And plenty delicious. There's nothing wrong with cooking in a giant box. It's just sort of old-timey.
Plus: Cook correctly and you'll be rewarded with a bird that has a George Hamilton-like tan and enough drippings to make an ocean of gravy. (Mmmmm, gravy surfing.)
Minus: Eat one roasted bird and you've tasted them all. Then there's the hit your thermostat takes trying to adjust for all that oven heat. Those burns on your forearms from reaching in for the turkey? Consider those holiday bragging scars.

SEGMENTED COOKING
Not everyone likes dark meat. Seems like everyone wants a drumstick. And, invariably, someone gets hurt feelings when they have to fight for a tender breast or greasy thigh.
Food Network star Ted Allen said in an interview last year that he advocates buying your turkey in pieces and cooking them individually. Darn if Ted wasn't right. You can make 15 drumsticks and no wings, if you want. Roast one part and fry another, for all you care. Think of this like the Ikea of turkey, where you can mix and match.
Plus: Cooking individual pieces is far less cumbersome than trying to juggle a huge, heavy, greasy turkey. And you can cook the amount you want and need.
Minus: You can't cook stuffing inside the turkey (not unless you're some sort of poultry surgeon), but then, who really wants to, anyway? Stuffing is better cooked in a casserole dish, away from the possibility of E. coli. Unless you like that sort of thing.

OIL FRYING/ INFRARED FRYING
Two types of fryers can be found on the market: hot oil fryers and infrared cookers.
As much fun as it may be to cheat death with five gallons of roiling oil that may or may not be properly measured, I equally recommend propane-powered infrared cookers, which use hot air inside a stable metal cylinder to cook the turkey.
Plus: Oil-cooking takes a quarter of the time of roasting. The turkey's skin is crispy, and the meat is tender and moist, not greasy. Infrared - same thing, only no hot oil. The model we use, a Big Easy by Char-Broil, collects all the drippings in a catch-pan in the bottom so you can make gravy. Cool.
Minus: Oil - it's messy, and disposal of residual oil is a hassle. Oh, and you might be engulfed in oily flames if you do it wrong. Infrared - yes, it cooks quickly, but if you take your eye off it at the wrong time, the bird can go from moist to petrified.

SMOKING
Who doesn't love smoked turkey? My smoker is a tall box that looks like a refrigerator you'd normally see in a dorm room, so I wasn't sure the bird was going to fit. I need not have worried; it worked perfectly. And because I cooked at a relatively low temperature (between 215 and 225 degrees), the meat came out so tender, I started weeping tears of gravy. True story. You can ask my friends.
Plus: Smoky campfire flavor, unbelievably tender meat. Leftover bones make for an amazing turkey stock with complex flavor.
Minus: Not everyone in the neighborhood wants to tolerate a smoking turkey chimney for 10 hours. And not everyone has the patience or the planning skills to wait that long for the bird to finish.

GRILLING
This can be a little tricky. First, you need to flatten the turkey before putting it over indirect heat on the grill top. A butcher can do this for you, if you have a fresh (not frozen) turkey. Then it takes a little bit of finesse to get this big, flat, former flightless fowl on the grill. But once you do, the resulting flavor is worth the effort.
Plus: There's something primal triggered by cooking a turkey on the grill over an open flame. Grunting like a primate is highly encouraged and enhances the flavor of the meat. For the cook, anyway.
Minus: Cutting out the backbone yourself so you can flatten Mr. Turkey is a Hitchcockian experience with lots of snapping tendons and crunching bones.
* * * *
Recipes
MARTHA STEWART'S TURKEY 101
1 14- to 20-pound turkey
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 17-inch cheesecloth square
3 tablespoons butter, softened
Salt and pepper, to taste
If it is frozen, place packaged turkey breast-side up on a rimmed baking sheet; refrigerate. Allow one full day of thawing for every four to five pounds of turkey. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
Heat oven to 425 degrees with rack in lowest position. On a clean work surface, remove giblets from the cavity and rinse turkey inside and out with cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Wash hands, utensils and work surface thoroughly with hot, soapy water. Stir together melted unsalted butter and dry white wine in a medium bowl. Fold a 17-inch square of cheesecloth into quarters. Immerse cloth in butter mixture and let soak.
Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fold neck flap under, securing with toothpicks. Pat turkey dry, rub all over with softened butter, and season with salt and pepper.
To roast: Cover turkey with cheesecloth; reserve remaining butter mixture for brushing. Place turkey in oven legs first and roast 30 minutes, then brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture and reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Continue roasting, brushing every 30 minutes, for 2 hours more. Discard cheesecloth and rotate pan. Baste turkey with pan juices and continue to roast until skin is golden brown, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) and center of stuffing reads 165 degrees, and the juices run clear (about 1 to 1-1/2 hours more). Tent with foil if browning too quickly. If turkey reaches 165 degrees before the stuffing, spoon stuffing into a buttered baking dish and continue to bake until golden brown and center registers 165 degrees.
Transfer turkey to a platter and garnish with apples, sage and chestnuts, if desired. Reserve pan with drippings for gravy. Let turkey stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes before carving.
Serves 12 to 14.

DECONSTRUCTED HOLIDAY TURKEY WITH SAGE GRAVY
To brine turkey:
1 (6 1/2- to 7-pound) turkey breast on the bone
3 turkey drumsticks (about 2 1/4 pounds total)
2 turkey thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup honey
1 head garlic, cut in half (do not peel)
2 dried bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 large whole sprigs fresh sage
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons allspice berries
1/4 cup fresh celery leaves (from 1 bunch)
To roast turkey:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Leaves from 2 large sprigs sage, plus several whole sprigs for garnish
For gravy:
2 to 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Brine turkey:
Rinse turkey parts and place in doubled 21/2-gallon resealable plastic bags (or large stockpot). Add salt, honey, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, sage, peppercorns, allspice and celery leaves. Add enough cold water to cover turkey - about 3 quarts. Press out air, close bags and place in large bowl or other container to protect against leaks. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

Roast turkey:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.
Remove turkey parts from brine, pat dry with paper towels and place, skin side up, on racks set in 2 medium roasting pans (be sure to leave space between parts for air circulation). Pour 1 cup water into each pan. Drizzle turkey parts with melted butter and scatter with sage leaves. Place 1 pan on each oven rack and roast until beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.
Lower heat to 400 degrees, switch positions of pans, and rotate each pan 180 degrees. Continue roasting until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast, avoiding bone, registers 165 degrees, about 1 to 11/4 hours. Transfer turkey parts to platter and tent with foil.

Make gravy:
Pour pan juices into 4-cup glass measuring cup, let stand until fat rises to top, 2 to 3 minutes, then skim off and reserve fat.
Set 1 roasting pan across 2 burners, add 2 cups chicken broth, and bring to simmer over moderately high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Add simmering broth to pan juices in measuring cup, then add additional chicken broth, if needed, to equal 4 cups liquid.
In medium saucepan over moderately low heat, melt butter, then whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth mixture and any collected juices from platter holding turkey, then raise heat to moderately high and boil mixture, uncovered, until thickened, about 8 minutes.
Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Carve turkey pieces and garnish with sage; serve with gravy.
Makes 8 servings.
Source: Ted Allen, Epicurious.com

DEEP-FRIED TURKEY
6 quarts hot water
1 pound kosher salt
1 pound dark brown sugar
5 pounds ice
1 (13- to 14-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
Approximately 4 to 41/2 gallons peanut oil. (In order to determine the correct amount of oil, place the turkey into the pot that you will be frying it in, add water just until it barely covers the top of the turkey and is at least 4 to 5 inches below the top of the pot. This will be the amount of oil you use for frying the turkey.)
Place the hot water, kosher salt and brown sugar into a 5-gallon upright drink cooler and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve completely. Add the ice and stir until the mixture is cool. Gently lower the turkey into the container. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure that it is fully immersed in the brine. Cover and set in a cool dry place for 8 to 16 hours.
Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Place the oil into a 28- to 30-quart pot and set over high heat on an outside propane burner with a sturdy structure. Bring the temperature of the oil to 250 degrees. Once the temperature has reached 250, slowly lower the bird into the oil and bring the temperature to 350 degrees. Once it has reached 350, lower the heat in order to maintain 350 degrees. After 35 minutes, check the temperature of the turkey using a probe thermometer. Once the breast reaches 151 degrees, gently remove from the oil and allow it to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to carving. The bird will reach an internal temperature of 161 degrees due to carry-over cooking. Carve as desired.
Source: Alton Brown, Food Network

TURKEY IN A SMOKER (by Doug Kacsir)
1 (10-pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
1/2 cup butter
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans cola-flavored carbonated beverage
1 apple, quartered
1 onion, quartered
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
I prefer hickory chips or hickory wood. Hickory generates a more even smokiness than other woods, and it does not matter whether the wood is green or seasoned. Mesquite, if not well seasoned, will generate a creosote type coating because of the sap that oozes out of the wood while cooking.
Preheat smoker to 225 to 250 degrees.
Rinse turkey under cold water and pat dry. Rub the crushed garlic over the outside of the bird, and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Place in a disposable roasting pan. Fill turkey cavity with butter, cola, apple, onion, garlic powder, salt and ground black pepper. Cover loosely with foil.
Smoke at 225 to 250 degrees for 10 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees when measured in the thickest part of the thigh. Baste the bird every 1 to 2 hours with the juices from the bottom of the roasting pan.
Source: AllRecipes.com

GRILLED BUTTERFLIED TURKEY WITH CARAWAY-ANCHO GRAVY
2 cups smoking chips, preferably applewood
1 tablespoon pure ancho chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
One 15-pound fresh turkey, butterflied (see note)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups turkey stock
Preheat the grill to low heat. Using heavy-duty aluminum foil, make two 1-cup packets of smoke chips. Poke holes in one side of each packet to create vents.
In a spice grinder, combine the ancho powder, caraway seeds and dried onion with 11/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the butter. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the seasoned butter for the gravy.
Starting from the neck end of the turkey, slip your hands between the skin and flesh, being careful not to tear the skin. Slip your hands as far down the legs as possible. Rub half of the remaining butter under the skin of the turkey and place the bird, skin side up, in 3 stacked sturdy disposable roasting pans. Rub some of the remaining butter over the skin.
Place one of the chip packets directly on the heat source and replace the grate. Set the roasting pans on the grate. Cover and grill the turkey for 1 hour, basting occasionally with the remaining butter.
Place the second chip packet on the grill. Using 2 pairs of tongs, carefully transfer the turkey to the grill, skin side up. Turn off one of the burners and grill over low heat, turning the turkey twice, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 175 degrees, about 11/2 hours longer.
Pour the pan juices into a heatproof measuring cup; skim off the fat (there should be 1 cup of juices). In a saucepan, melt the reserved 3 tablespoons of seasoned butter. Whisk in the flour, then whisk over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the stock and pan juices and bring to a boil; simmer over moderate heat until thickened.
Carve the turkey and serve with the caraway-ancho gravy.
Note: The seasoned butter can be frozen for up to 1 week. Also, ask your butcher to remove the backbone and crack the breastbone so the turkey will lie flat on the grill.
Source: Grace Parisi, www.foodandwine.com