When I moved into my house four years ago I cooked my first turkey. Since then I've learn much about the art of cooking the delicious holiday bird. Here is what I've learned:
14 pound birds cook best. If you need more turkey than that try cooking two birds.
Placing a turkey in a brine for 12 hours is a must. Brining not only tenderizes the meat but adds flavor to create that juicy white meat we all crave. The basic formula for a brine is 1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups kosher salt for every gallon of liquid. The salt is what changes the cell structure making the meat moist. Liquids used in a brine can range from water to juice to stock to beer. Also spices like your favorite herbs should be used. Whatever your imagination can come up with to add flavor to your bird. The larger the meat, the longer it should brine. 12 hours is good for a 12-18 lb turkey while shrimp need only about half an hour. Also important is to keep the brine under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't have room in the refrigerator try adding ice to the solution.
The way I brine:
I like to buy a new 21 qt kitchen trashcan each year for my brine because it fits nicely in my sink and will hold the proper amount for the turkey and all the fluid. I buy it new each year just because somehow mine from last year always ends up getting used as a trashcan after the holidays - maybe some year I'll learn to keep it hidden away.
The receipt I like to use for my brine I got off of foodnetwork.com. It is a great receipt by Alexandra Guarnaschelli though I've made a couple of substitutions because I didn't have 2 cups of honey on hand so I used 1 cup of honey and 1 cup of brown sugar; I also added a cup of red wine. And I baked my bird according to the Butterball directions instead of the 350 degrees Alexandra recommends.
Ingredients
- 6 quarts tap water
- 1 pound kosher salt
- 1 cup molasses
- 2 cups honey
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- Large bunch fresh thyme
- 2 heads garlic broken into individual cloves, unpeeled
- 5 pounds ice cubes
- 14 to 18-pound turkey, cleaned, innards removed
- 1 pound unsalted butter, softened
- 2 lemons, zested
Directions
In a medium pot, bring 3 quarts of the tap water to a boil over medium heat. Put the kosher salt in a large bowl and slowly (and carefully!) pour the boiling water over the salt. Stir to blend.
Add the molasses, honey, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, sage, thyme and garlic to the salt and water mixture. Stir to blend. Add the remaining 3 quarts of cool water. Add the ice to a cooler or bucket large enough to hold the brine and the turkey. Pour the brine over the ice and use a large whisk to blend all of the ingredients.
Submerge the turkey, breast side down, in the brine. Make sure the cavity of the bird fills with the liquid as you are submerging it. Cover the cooler and allow the bird to sit in the brine overnight or for about 12 hours.
Remove the bird from the brine and dry it thoroughly with thick (absorbent) kitchen towels. Take care to wipe inside the cavity as well. Discard the brine. Whisk together the butter and the lemon zest. Gently lift the skin covering 1 breast of the turkey and spread half of the butter right on the meat under the skin. Repeat with the other breast. The butter will add extra moisture and richness as the bird roasts.
Buttering the bird is a step that is well worth the time.
I also like to use Martha Steward's Cheese cloth technique where I submerge a clean cheese cloth in herb-seasoned olive oil and then place over the bird after arranging the turkey in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. The cheese cloth not only helps add flavor to the turkey's skin but provides a place for the baste to sit each time the bird is basted.
Basting is also an important trick for creating that perfect turkey. I like to baste my bird every half-hour. Using an electric roaster make this step much easier since all I have to do is lift the lid and baste instead of open the oven - remove the heavy pan - baste and replace back in the oven.
Roast until the internal temperature of the turkey taken from the thickest part of the thigh reads 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 3 1/2 hours. Remove the turkey from the oven to a cutting board or serving platter and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving so that the juices will remain in the turkey otherwise all the work you've put into brineing and basting will be lost on the platter.
