Brined Turkey
Why I Love This Recipe
I got this recipe from a coworker who got it from foodnetwork who got it from Alton Brown.
Ingredients You'll Need
Brine
1 gallon vegetable stock - or canned broth
1 T black peppercorns
1/2 T allspice berries
1/2 t candied ginger
1/8 c brown sugar
Directions
Mix all brine ingredients in stockpot and boil until solids have dissolved. Remove from heat let brine cool to room temperature and then chill overnight in refrigerator.
Pour brine ingredients into a 5 gallon bucket and add 1 gallon ice water. Submerge turkey in bucket and allow to soak for 6 -8 hours turning turkey every 1.5 hours.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove turkey from brine, rinse throughly in cold water, pat dry with a paper towel. Place turkey in a roasting pan with rack.
Aromatics:
1 apple - cored and sliced
1 onion - chopped
6 - 8 sage leaves
2 - 3 cinnamon sticks
4 - rosemary sprigs
Place apple, onion and 1 c water in small saucepan boil until apples soften. Stuff turkey cavity with apples, onions, sage, rosemary and cinnamon sticks.
Place turkey in 500 degree oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cover turkey breast with foil, reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 15 pound turkey an additional 2 hours or until temperature probe registers 165 degrees. Remove from oven, let stand 30 minutes, slice and serve.
Be careful on the time, the addition of salt to the turkey speeds up the cooking process
