The Perfect Brined Turkey
1 16 lb. turkey, thawed
For the brine:
5-gallon stock pot or bucket
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp. allspice berries
1 1/2 tsp. candied ginger, chopped
1 gallon heavily iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil
Preparation begins 2-3 days prior to roasting. Begin thawing your turkey in the refrigerator 3 days prior to brining. Thoroughly wash and clean the bucket or stock pot.
In large stockpot, combine chicken stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries and candied ginger. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove brine from heat and cool to room temperature.
Combine water, ice and brine in 5-gallon bucket or cooler. Wash thawed turkey and remove neck and giblet packet. Place turkey in bucket, breast side down, making sure it is completely covered with brine. Cover and set in cool area for 8-16 hours, turning bird once half way through. Make sure the ice keeps the turkey at a temperature around 38 degrees.
To roast turkey, preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove turkey from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.
Place turkey in roaster on roasting rack (this keeps the skin from sticking to pan.) Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
In microwave safe bowl, combine apple, onion, cinnamon stick and 1 cup of water. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped
aromatics to turkey’s cavity, along with rosemary and sage. Tuck wings underneath bird and coat skin liberally with canola oil.
Place oven rack on lowest level. Roast turkey in oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue cooking until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 161 degrees F. (A 16 lb. turkey should take about 2-2 1/2 hours of roasting.
Remove turkey from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
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