Brined Turkey
- Ready In:
- 14hrs 20mins
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Serves:
-
10-12
ingredients
- 1 (12 lb) turkey
- 1 lb kosher salt (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 3 medium onions, cut into large wedges
- 2 carrots, cut into chunks
- 3 stalks celery, cut into chunks
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 6 parsley sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1⁄2 lb butter, melted
directions
- Remove the giblets, neck and tail piece from the turkey and reserve them for gravy, if desired.
- Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water.
- In a large pot or 5-gallon bucket, stir the salt and 1 gallon of cold water together.
- Carefully set the turkey into the water and cover the bird by 2 to 3 inches with cold water.
- Refrigerate or set the turkey in a very cold (32 to 40 degrees F) place for 8 to 12 hours.
- Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.
- Let it sit out at room temperature for an hour, or an hour and a half at most.
- Position a rack in the bottom of your oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, toss together the onion, carrots, celery, thyme, parsley, bay leaf and half the butter.
- Pack the body and neck cavities loosely with this mixture.
- Truss the legs together with kitchen twine and secure the neck flap to the back with a couple of trussing pins or sturdy toothpicks.
- Rub the turkey with half of the remaining butter and set the bird on its side on a rack in a roasting pan.
- Roast it for 15 minutes, then turn it onto its other side and roast for 15 minutes more.
- Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F.
- Soak a large piece of cheesecloth (enough to cover the turkey breast) in the remaining butter, turn the turkey breast-side up and place the cheesecloth over the breast.
- Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan.
- Continue roasting, basting with pan juices every 15 to 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the breast registers 160 degrees F.
- Check a meaty section of the thigh, as well; it should also register 160 degrees F.
- If the breast is cooking too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil.
- Total roasting time should be about 2 1/2 hours.
- Let the turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Simply Chris
Surprise, 41
<p>My favorite cookbook, well I guess I have 3...The Way to Cook, by Julia Child, the Low Fat Living Cookbook and The California Wine Country Cookbook II. I am retired, due to no longer being able to work because of complications from the Crohns Disease I have lived with since 1971. For a while I didn't even do any cooking or knitting since the inflammatory arthrisis (secondary to the Crohns) was too painful in my hands and feet. Fortunately I am now on a drug protocol that seems to be working, but I am still not able to be as productive as I would like. Still can't work, but I am cooking and knitting again. My husband and I moved to Surprise, Arizona at the end of January 2005. My husband is retired from being in the wine business. I love to cook (and we love to eat) and am always looking for new recipies to try. Due to a slight blood sugar problem my husband has to stick to a diet that eliminates sugars and bad carbs, so I have had to modify a lot of the recipes we like. I love Recipezaar, as I have found so many good, healthy recipes here. I hope you enjoy the recipes that I post as much as I have enjoyed the new ones I've found here.</p>