Skip to main content

Fabulous Turkey Brine



 Fabulous Turkey Brine

3/4 cup kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp whole coriander seeds

1 Tbsp fennel seeds

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic, crushed

3-4 bay leaves

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 onion, diced (or half of one onion plus 1-2 shallots, diced)

2 gallons cool water

A 12 to 21-pound turkey

Combine the vegetables, aromatics, herbs, salt, and sugar with the 2 gallons of water in a large vessel (21-quart pot for a small turkey, 5-gallon bucket for a large one). Stir. Add turkey. Ensure the breast is under water -- employ weights if necessary. (A foil-covered brick has been known to make itself useful in such circumstances in my kitchen.) 

Brine for 2 to 3 days. Remove the turkey from the brine the night before Thanksgiving. Pat dry and -- ideally -- chill the turkey in the refrigerator, uncovered, to allow the skin to dry out overnight. Dry turkey skin gets browner during cooking.

Follow the directions on the turkey's packaging for the actual cooking according to weight, unless you're using a specific recipe. My specific recipe will follow shortly.



Nothing but water, salt, sugar, aromatics, etc. -- I used a liner not in an effort to keep things tidy, but because I was worried that my new 21-quart speckled pot would overflow. So much worrying! It's my greatest talent.


New speckled pot full of turkey and brine! Smallest turkey I've made in years, too.


Labels:

Comments

  1. AmyNovember 28, 2020 at 11:24 PM

    I have eaten this turkey. I have eaten the author's turkey before she discovered brining. As good as the non-brined turkey was, I highly recommend the brined turkey. Just listen to Bay. She knows what the hell she's talking about. The end.
    \

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pork Chops and Gravy

Easy Pork Chops & Gravy recipe 5-6 pork chops 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup ½ envelope dry onion soup mix Worcestershire sauce 1 cup water Salt, pepper, flour Salt, pepper, and flour the pork chops. Turn on your favorite burner to a high medium heat -- 6.5 or 7, in other words. In batches, brown the chops in a couple of tablespoons of oil in a well-greased cast iron skillet. In a bowl, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, the half envelope of onion soup mix, cup of water, and several dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Return pork chops to skillet; pour soup mixture over, raising the chops a bit to allow the mixture to get all around the pork chops. Turn the burner down to medium-low (3), cover, and cook for one hour. Check frequently to ensure even cooking of the pork chops; add water as needed 1 tablespoon at a time; may add a little Worcestershire sauce as needed, too. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans. My sister called me long distance from Ellicott City, Maryland, to t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mater Salad

Homegrown Tomato, Cucumber, and Corn Summer Salad 1 large homegrown tomato, ripe, chopped 2 Kirby cucumbers, chopped 1-2 ears fresh ears of corn, kernels sliced off the ears Mayonnaise Apple cider vinegar Pinch of sugar Kosher salt & pepper to taste Mix about a third of a cup of mayonnaise with about 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Add a pinch of sugar and salt & pepper to taste. Taste the dressing before you add the vegetables.  Chop up a large, ripe, homegrown tomato -- Better Boy, Cherokee Purple, whatever you've got. This recipe does not work with store-bought, mass-produced tomatoes. Chop up a couple of Kirby cucumbers or half of an English cucumber. Slice the kernels off of 1-2 ears of corn. Add the vegetables to the dressing in the bowl, stir to combine. Cover and chill until dinner is ready. This salad holds for a day or two, but it's best when fresh. The vegetables are sweet and crunchy; the dressing is creamy and tangy; it's a match made in ...
Post a Comment
Read more