Brined and Roasted Turkey

Submitted by ElizabethKnicely

"Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2001"

 

• Ready In: 9hrs
• Ingredients: 28
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 (10 -12 lb) turkey
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths
• 1 large orange, cut into 8ths
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 cups chicken or 2 cups turkey stock, for basting

• BRINE RECIPE

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 oranges, quartered
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 4 sprigs rosemary

• Turkey Broth

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 small bay leaf
• 3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock or 3 cups canned low sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups water

• Gravy

• 4 cups turkey broth
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1⁄4 cup flour
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

directions

1. .Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavitiy of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.
2. TO MAKE THE BRINING SOLUTION: Dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.
3. NOTE: If you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup kosher salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.
4. Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refregerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
6. Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse wel under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.
7. FOR THE TURKEY BROTH: Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
8. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.
9. Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.
10. Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
11. FOR THE PAN GRAVY: Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat. Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cups of broth and bring to a simmer, the transfer to a measuring cup.
12. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.