Brined Turkey

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Ingredients

For the Recipe

  • 1 thawed turkey, any size (remove giblets)
  • NOTE: Depending on size, allow 3 to 5 days for the turkey to thaw in the refrigerator
  • 1 5-gallon food-grade plastic bucket with lid

Brine

  • 1 gallon of vegetable stock
  • 1 to 2 gallons of water or enough to cover the turkey
  • 1 to 2 cups kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns or black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic or 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 to 3 dried bay leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 1 large bag of ice

Aromatics

  • 1 red apple, sliced
  • 1/2 onion, sliced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 6 fresh sage leaves
  • Olive oil

Directions

  1. Prepare the brine the day before you plan on cooking the turkey.
  2. In a large pot, combine all the ingredients, except the ice. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the salt and brown sugar. Once boiling, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
  3. Combine the cooled brine and ice in the bucket.
  4. Place the thawed turkey, breast side down, in the brine. Make sure the turkey is fully covered with liquid (add more water if needed).
  5. Cover, refrigerate or set in a cool area for 8 to 16 hours. Turn the turkey once half way through brining time.
  6. Day of cooking: Preheat oven to 500°F. Remove turkey from the brine, rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine. Place turkey on roasting rack and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack in a roasting pan or large rimmed cookie sheet.
  7. Combine apple, onion, cinnamon stick and water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add the steeped aromatics to the turkey cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird.
  8. Coat the skin liberally with olive oil. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. Create a large triangle with aluminum foil and shape so it covers the entire breast of the turkey. Do not cover the wings. REMOVE THE FOIL for now. You will use it later.
  9. Place the turkey in the oven and roast at 500°For 30 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven; cover the breast with the foil tent. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Set the thermometer to 161°F and return turkey to the oven. When temperature reaches 161°F, remove turkey from oven.
  10. Loosely cover the entire bird with foil and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

https://www.cutco.com/learn/brined-turkey-from-cutco-cook