Brined Turkey
INGREDIENTS
- 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