Brined Roast Turkey

Source: Alton Brown

14-16 lb frozen turkey

Brine:

1 cup kosher salt

½ cup brown sugar

1 gallon vegetable stock 

1 Tbsp black peppercorns

1 ½ tsp allspice berries

1 ½ tsp candied ginger

1 gallon heavily iced water

Aromatics:

1 red apple, sliced

½ onion, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup water

4 sprigs rosemary

6 sage leaves

Canola oil

Thaw turkey in refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38° F for 2 to 3 days.

Combine all brine ingredients, except for water in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature.

Combine the brine water and ice in a 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in the brine. Weigh the bird down if necessary, until fully immersed. Cover and refrigerate for 8-16 hours, or keep in cool place, keeping consistently iced. Turn bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Remove the bird from the brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a roasting pan, pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey’s cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Cover the turkey breast with a triangle of foil, to avoid dryness. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Set thermometer to 160° F (if available.) A 14 to 16 pound bird should take 2 to 2 ½ hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil at least 15 minutes, ideally for 1 hour.

*This is kind of an unconventional way to roast turkey, but the result is the most moist delicious turkey ever! Getting a smaller turkey is part of the key, so sometimes I roast 2 if I’m cooking for a crowd.