Brining a Young Turkey

Angela Marie's Note:

This is one of my favorites. Posting this in lieu of posting in the Brining Class of 8/12/2006 Bon Appetit

• Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 frozen turkey
• brine
• 1 cup kosher salt
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• ½ tablespoon allspice berry
• ½ tablespoon candied ginger
• 1 gallon water , iced

Aromatics

• 1 apple , red sliced
• ½ onion , sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• canola oil

Directions:

1. Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stock pot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
2. Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. (corrosive free container). Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 12 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.
3. A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500°F Combine the Apple, Onion. Cinnamon stick and Cup of Water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. This makes sure the stuffing is cooked properly.
4. Remove the bird from the brine and rinse inside and out with cold water several times. Discard brine.
5. Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with a neutral oil. (canola comes to mind).
6. Roast on lowest lever of the oven at 500°F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350°F Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161°F A 14 pound bird should require about a total of 2 to 2 1.2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest. min of 15/20 minutes before serving. Tent the bird while resting.
7. Enjoy a brined turkey.

Reviews

[Jakie's Mom]

I brined a 22 lb. fresh turkey using this recipe. It was the best Thanksgiving turkey we've ever had - very moist and juicy without constant basting. The flavor was outstanding. I used a brining bag and brined for 36 hours in the refrigerator, turning it once half way through. This is a method I will use over and over again!

[Chef #335403]

My son-in-law served a brined turkey for Thanksgiving and I can honestly say it was the BEST turkey I have EVER tasted, bar-none. Even the white meat was moist. Besides that, it had the very subtle flavor of the herbs and spices. Delish! When I asked him for the recipe, to use at Christmas, he sent me THIS recipe. I was astounded when I found the same recipe in Recipezaar. The only difference that I can see is that the recipe he sent to me calls for brining the bird for 6 hours and not 12 and the wording simplifies or eliminates some “taken-for-granted� instructions.