Good Eats Roast Turkey
Photo: flickr user thebittenword.com
Ingredients
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cup water
Preparation
1
To 3 days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
2
4
5
Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
6
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
9
10
Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage.
12
Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes.
13
Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
14
Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting.
Tools
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About
Alton Brown recipe
Yield:
10 to 12 servings
Added:
Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 4:24pm