Hello, Foodies!
I don’t know about you, but it’s already beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. I’m starting to hear Christmas songs on the radio and see wreaths and lights magically appearing overnight. Now don’t get me wrong, I love everything about Christmas…I really do. But we’re forgetting something important: THANKSGIVING!
To me, November is a sacred month, as it is the month the Thanksgiving issue of the Food Network magazine arrives (Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday…can’t you tell?). It is the month of menu planning and list making . It is the month of food…and more specifically, turkey. Because let’s be honest, is it really Thanksgiving without turkey?
So for all of those Thanksgiving-obsessed, menu-planning, list-making foodies out there, I thought I’d help you out a little, because in all honesty, turkeys aren’t easy. Believe me, I’ve had my fair share of turkeys that turned out to be too bland or too salty or too dry. But after many years of trial and error and recipe after recipe after recipe, I have an answer.
It all begins with a brine – a heavenly brine so fragrant and so scrumptious that if it weren’t for the cup of salt, I’d be drinking it with a straw. Then butter. Lots and lots of butter. And herbs. And lemons. And garlic. Is your mouth watering yet? Here’s how to make it:
For the Brine (Inspired by Ree Drummond’s Favorite Turkey Brine)
- 2 gallons water
- 3 cups unfiltered apple juice
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons mulling spices
- 3 tablespoons tricolor peppercorns
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs rosemary, stripped
- Peel of three oranges
- 1 15-pound turkey
- Bring the water, apple juice, sugar, salt, mulling spices, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, and orange peels to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir occasionally.
- Take the brine off of the heat and allow it to cool completely. Meanwhile, rinse the turkey and remove the neck, gizzards, and giblets if necessary. Then, pour the brine into a brining bag with the turkey, ensuring that the turkey is fully submerged. Place the bag into a cooler with ice packs, and allow it to soak for 24 hours (the longer, the better!).
Roasting (Inspired by Ina Garten’s Perfect Roast Turkey)
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2 lemons, zested, halved, and juiced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 1 head garlic, halved
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine the butter with lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and thyme.
- Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse, and pat dry. Insert your hand under the neck skin and gently separate the skin from the breast, taking care not to tear the skin. Rub half of the butter mixture under the skin and over the skin, and stuff the cavity with the onion, garlic, and remaining lemon rinds.
- Using kitchen twine, truss the turkey. Tie one piece around the front of the turkey so that the wings are tight against the body. Tie another piece around the legs to hold in the contents of the cavity.
- Place the turkey into a large roasting pan and put into the preheated oven.
- Meanwhile, melt the remaining half of the butter mixture. After the turkey has been roasting for 45 minutes, bast with the melted butter.
- Let the turkey roast for about 2 more hours, or until the meat in between the leg and the thigh is 165°F.
- Allow the turkey to rest for 20 minutes and enjoy!
Now, I realize that when it comes to turkeys and trussing and basting and roasting, a wall of ingredients and words are not always the most helpful, so here’s a video.
Good luck, foodies.
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