Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Thighs with Salsa Verde

To make the salsa verde, in a bowl, stir together the parsley, sage, rosemary, capers, garlic and red pepper flakes. Add enough olive oil to cover the herbs and set aside.

Cut 24 pieces of kitchen twine, each about 12 inches (30 cm) long.

To prepare the turkey, season the thighs all over with salt and pepper and sprinkle evenly with the thyme. Working with 1 of the thighs at time, arrange 3 bacon slices on top of the thigh, overlapping them as if they were shingles. Tuck the ends of the slices under the thigh to make a neat package. (If your turkey thighs are larger or smaller, you may need fewer or more slices of bacon.) Using 3 pieces of twine, gently tie the bacon onto the thigh, using 1 piece of string for each strip of bacon. Repeat to wrap the remaining turkey thighs. Wrap each of the thighs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook the turkey, preheat a smoker to 350°F (180°C).

Place the turkey thighs, seam side down, on the smoker rack and cook, maintaining the smoker temperature at around 350°F (180°C), until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F (74°C), 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.

While the turkey rests, stir red wine vinegar into the herb mixture to taste and season with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if necessary so you can drizzle the mixture from a spoon.

Remove the string from the turkey and cut crosswise into slices about 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick. Arrange the slices on a platter, spoon some of the salsa verde on top and serve with the remaining salsa verde alongside. Serves 10 to 12.