Honey Clove Brine for Mr. Turkey

Submitted by Bowen Cormac

"Brining a turkey before roasting, or deep frying, will give the turkey more flavor and keep it juicy after cooking. No more dried out bird. This is my personal recipe that I used for the 2009 family Christmas dinner. I only cooked a turkey breast, family doesn't care for dark meat so why bother cooking it. Calling the bird Mr. Turkey is not mandatory, but it does make the little cousins giggle."

 

• Ready In: 16hrs
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 11-14

ingredients

• 6 -8 lbs turkey breast
• 1 cup whole cloves
• 1⁄2 cup allspice berry
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup honey
• 2 cups kosher salt
• 1 gallon beer
• 1 gallon chicken broth
• 1 gallon water
• 7 lbs ice

directions

1. In a large stock pot, I use a 5 gallon pot, bring water, beer and chicken broth to a rolling boil. Add salt, honey and sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. Drop heat until the liquid is at a simmer, then add the cloves, bay leaves and allspice berries. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, let stand while putting the 7 pound bag of ice into the drinking cooler. Pour the hot brine into the ice.
2. When the brine is cool place turkey into the brine for no less than 16 hours, my best result was after 48 hours in the brine. Rinse the turkey, inside and out.
3. Set oven to 350 degrees.
4. Stick probe thermometer into breast meat of turkey, make sure not to hit the bone. Set temp alarm to go off at 160 degrees, if your thermometer has that function otherwise you'll have to keep an eye on the temperature.