Thanksgiving Turkey
Thanksgiving Turkey
I am a BIG fan of brining. By brining, the turkey absorbs additional moisture, this in turn helps the turkey to stay moist and juicy – during and after cooking. Since the turkey absorbs salt along with the water, it also gets nicely seasoned from the inside out. I have purchased expensive pre-packaged brines, but through a little trial and error, I have finally pulled together a nice combination of flavors that really work for me.
Equipment
- Oven or Brining Bags
- 1 large roasting pan
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Kosher Salt Diamond Crystal brand
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 tsp juniper berries crushed
- 1 tsp black peppercorns crushed
- 2 tsp whole allspice berries crushed
- 5 fresh sage leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cup hot water
- 4 cup ice water
- 1 12-20 lbs turkey fresh or thawed frozen
Instructions
The Brine
- In a large saucepan, stir together the salt, sugar, cloves, juniper berries, peppercorns, and allspice. Add the sage leaves, thyme, and bay leaves along with the hot water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the ice water and stir to cool the mixture. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
The Method
- Nest 1 plastic oven bag inside the other to create a double thickness. Place the double bag mouth open wide and facing up, in the roasting pan. (I use a very large bowl)Fold back the top one-third of the double bag to make a collar (this helps keep the bags open). Place the turkey inside the double bag. Unfold the collar of the double bag and pour the brine over the turkey. Draw up the top of the inner bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and secure it closed with a twist tie. Do the same with the outer bag. Turn the package so the turkey is breast side down in the pan or very large bowl and refrigerate for at least 12 hour or up to 24 hour. Turn the turkey 3 or 4 times while it is brining.Remove the turkey from the brine. Discard the bags, brine and any cured herbs or spices remaining on the turkey. Rinse the bird under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place it back in the roasting pan and refrigerate, making sure that it touches nothing else in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. This resting period allows the skin of the turkey to dry a bit so it is crisp when roasted. The turkey is now ready to be roasted.
