Thanksgiving Countdown 5: Let's Talk Turkey!
Hello Everyone, it is time to talk turkey! It is 4 days until Thanksgiving and we need to discuss the big bird. We are going to be talking about brining, preparing, and roasting.
Brining the Turkey:
Now, depending on the size of your bird, you will have to do some calculations and figure out the best time for your bird to be taken out of the freezer to defrost and when you want to put it into the brine. Remember that you need to allow it to defrost 24 hours for every 5 pounds in the refrigerator. My bird is 14 pounds so I will be taking it out of the freezer Monday (tomorrow) and putting it in the brine early Wednesday morning so that we can enjoy it at 7 pm on Thanksgiving. I brine and defrost at the same time sometimes too so feel free to do that!
If you have a bird that is about 12-15 pounds or medium size like mine, you will take your bird out of the freezer on Monday (tomorrow) and put it in the fridge to start the defrosting process. Next, on Wednesday morning you will start the brining process. You want to be able to brine for at least 24 hours so I recommend doing this early in the morning. The brine helps to add flavor and keep the turkey super moist, as well as tenderizing the meat very well. A brine is a salty, flavorful solution that you submerge your turkey in completely for up to 72 hours (depending on the size of your bird). Most brines consist of a brining concentrate that you add a ton of water to in order to submerge the bird. Brine recipes can include salt, sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange or lemon, and herbs of all kinds. I have also added juniper berries to mine and apple cider like I'm doing this year. I have even seen brines with alcohol in them! Once the turkey brines for as long as you like, you will take it out of the brine and rinse it REALLY WELL. This is a super salty solution that the bird has been sitting in and you don't want your bird to have that lingering salty taste.
My brine recipe is below and I change that quite a bit as well, but tend to stick with the basic solution on salt, sugar, herbs, and some citrus. I will be using a handy turkey brining bag for mine because it is much less of a mess than any other route I have found. This is really simple too: put the bird in the bag, mix your brine concentrate and the water and pour it over the turkey. Now, remember that the liquid needs to completely cover the turkey so make sure there is enough water to do that, then stick it in the fridge until about an hour before you are ready to start roasting.
Flavoring the Turkey:
An hour before you are ready to roast the bird, take it out of the brine and rinse it SUPER WELL. Pat it completely dry and then rub your flavored butter of choice under the breast’s skin and all over the outside. Stuff the cavity with stuffing (if that’s your thing), or chunks of onion, apple, some citrus, and herbs with salt and pepper. Salt and pepper the outside of the bird and then let it come to temperature for about 15-20 minutes before putting it into your preheated oven to roast. Flavored butters are super easy and delicious. Start with one stick of SOFTENED butter. Whip it with a fork for just a moment to get it light and fluffy and then add flavorings like fresh sage and orange zest, salt and pepper. Then, you can rub it under the turkey’s skin to flavor the breast right away or put it into the fridge until you are ready to use it. (psst this is a great thing to do ahead of time and bring back out once it is turkey time!).
Roasting the Turkey:
Once you have defrosted, brined, and flavored the turkey, it is time to roast it (yay!). First, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Put the turkey in a roasting pan with a rack or create your own with veggies like celery sticks, carrots, and onions along with fresh herbs and some sliced citrus. I like to pour about a cup of some kind of liquid in the bottom of the pan to keep the bird moist and start the flavoring process of the drippings. Most of the time it is chicken broth but this year it will be Apple Cider (yum!). Roast the turkey for 30 minutes and then turn the temperature down to 375 and cook until a thermometer reads 165 Degrees F when stuck into the breast or thigh of the turkey. This is where you will need to do some calculations. A turkey is done when a thermometer reads 165 degrees F tip:: even if your turkey has a pop up thermometer built it-DO NOT rely on it! Those thermometers pop up when a turkey reaches 190 degrees F and that means your turkey is WAY overcooked! Use your own meat thermometer and rely on that instead. Now, a turkey has to be roasted about 20 minutes per pound so our 15 pound bird (Tom) will be roasted for about 3-3 1/2 hours. Your turkey may be different so do some calculations and figure out what is best for you and your bird. Baste your turkey every 30 minutes or so for a nice juicy bird and check the temperature. If the bird is getting too dark while cook, you can cover it with foil and this will stop the browning on the outside. Once the turkey has reached 165 degrees F, it is time for it to come out of the oven. Cover it tightly with foil now and let the bird rest for 30 minutes or so while you make the sides and gravy. Carve the turkey and sit down and enjoy the beautiful fruits of your labor-you did it!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Turkey Brining
It's that time of year again! Thanksgiving! The family is all gathered and it's time for the big feast. This brining method makes a delicious turkey every time!
ingredients:
- 1.5 cups kosher salt
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp seasoning salt
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 3 rosemary sprigs
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 3 sage leaves
- juice and whole peel of one orange
- juice and whole peel of one lemon
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 4 cups or more of water (needs to cover turkey)
- turkey brining bag
instructions:
- Pour all ingredients into a large stockpot and mix well.
- Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer. Let cook for 30 minutes.
- Cool brine concentrate completely.
- When ready to brine the turkey: add the turkey to the brining bag, pour your cooled brine concentration into the water, pour mixture over the turkey, and add any additional water needed to cover the turkey.
- Put the turkey into the fridge.
- Brine the turkey for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours.
- When ready to roast: remove turkey from the brine, rinse the turkey off completely (including the cavity), and dry it completely.