First...a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, especially our moderators, who seem to have the most thankless job there is!
I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy some time with family and friends. We will not be sailing this weekend, instead, its time for a new family tradition, so everyone is headed to Western Maryland for a weekend of fun at the Cabin in Deep Creek
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So the perfect Thanksgiving Turkey...we have all had the dry turkey
Well, its not to late to make the best turkey you have ever had, but the clock is ticking fast...the turkey should brine for 36-48 hours depending on size and if you injected it or not.
I have been attempting to perfect the Thanksgiving day turkey for a while, here is what I have been doing with great results, the most juicy, tender, flavorful turkey I have had...bonus...the brine reduces bacteria growth.
Salty Brine: The basic ratio is water or liquids to salt & sugar.
1 Gal water/liquid
1 Cup Salt, Kosher
1/2 Cup Sugar
The rest is up to you as far as flavor: I make 2 gallons of brine for a 18-20# Turkey, it includes the following:
- 1 Gal Water
- 2 Cup Kosher Salt
- 1 Cup Sugar, granulated
- 2 Each Onion, Yellow
- 4 Bulbs Garlic
- 1 Cup Pickling Spice
- Star Anise
Heat the ingredients above to a boil, then remove from the heat and add:
- 1 Bunch Thyme
- 1 Bunch Rosemary
- 8 Ounces Ginger
- 4 Each Apples
Let Cool, then add
- 1 Gal Apple Cider (1 gal cider + 1 Gal water = your 2 gallons of liquid to 2 cups of salt + 1 cup sugar)
Rinse Turkey in with cold water, removing any giblets/neck, etc. Place in a large bucket and cover with cool brine, weight down with some plates, or plastic bottles so it is kept submerged. Important note: If you want to speed up the process of brining or have a large turkey, you should inject some of the brine into the meat using a bringing needle.
Let the turkey brine for two to three days, dependent if you injected it or not and how large a bird it is.
Prepare for Roasting: After removing the turkey from the brine, rinse it with cold running water for about 30-60 minutes. Then let it dry for a few hours under refrigeration.
Prepare for Roasting:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Gently separate the skin from the breast of the turkey and slide pork fat back that has been sliced 1/8" thick between the skin & breast. This is called barding.
Stuff the cavity with some chopped onions, apples, Cinnamon, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, etc.
Truss the turkey using butchers twine or the supplied wire being sure the legs are pulled tight to the breast.
Arrange your turkey in your roasting pan on a bed of chopped onions, carrots, celery, bacon and chicken stock. Add chicken stock occasionally throughout the roasting to keep the vegetables from drying out and burning. This also will provide some steam in the oven and a good base for your gravy.
Place in the preheated oven for 15-30 minutes at 500 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and cook to and internal temp of 160 degrees, with a final temp of 165 degrees.
Note: Starting with the best ingredient is always superior, I prefer to find a Free Range Turkey.
Happy Thanksgiving, I hope you try it and like it
Here is a link to Good Eats Turkey Recipe, slightly different but maybe easier to follow.
Good Eats Roast Turkey Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network
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Brining your Turkey - Happy Thanksgiving to all
