dean's delicious turkey using a wet brine
Absolutely delicious! A very good friend of mine has been making his turkeys this way for years. The recipe was handed down by his father. The brine penetrates the turkey, making it moist and delicious! You do need to brine the thawed turkey overnight, so, plan ahead. The recipe looks like a lot of steps but many of them are really short. This turkey is well worth the effort. However, I wouldn't try a new recipe for the first time on a holiday:) Pictures will be taken and posted after Dean makes his turkey for this Thanksgiving.
No Image
prep time
12 Hr 25 Min
cook time
3 Hr
method
Bake
yield
8 with leftovers
Ingredients
- - brine
- 2 quarts - water
- 1 tablespoon orange peel spice
- 1/2 cup orange juice, fresh
- 2 cups kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 10 - bay leaves
- 14 - black peppercorns, whole
- 1 bag 10# ice
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1 large cooler
- - in the roaster
- 1/2 bunch celery, chopped into large pieces
- 1 large orange, quartered
- 1 large sweet onion, quartered
- 1 large red onion
- 3 small apples, quartered
- 1/2 bag shredded carrots
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 - 15# thawed turkey
- 3 sticks herbed butter
- - paprika
- - lawry's seasoning
How To Make dean's delicious turkey using a wet brine
-
Step 1Mix first 9 ingredients together in a large sauce pan.
-
Step 2Bring mixed ingredients to a boil.
-
Step 3Turn down heat and let ingredients simmer 10 minutes. Cool.
-
Step 4In the meantime, place thawed turkey, breast side down, in cooler.
-
Step 5Cover turkey with 2 quarts water,the cooled down ingredients in the sauce pan. Stir to mix.
-
Step 6Add the ice along sides of turkey.
-
Step 7Cover cooler and brine over night.
-
Step 8Next morning, remove turkey and pat dry. Set aside.
-
Step 9Place rack into roasting pan. ( If you don't have a rack, you can coil 4 or 5 rounds of aluminum foil and place in roaster.)
-
Step 10Into roaster pan, add celery, orange, onions, apples, carrots and chicken stock.
-
Step 11Back to the turkey...separate breast and the drum sticks skin from body carefully. This is done by wiggling your fingers between the body and skin of the bird.
-
Step 12Smear herbed butter between the body and the skin, going as far down as you can.
-
Step 13Place remaining butter in the turkey cavity.
-
Step 14Sprinkle Lawry's salt and paprika all over turkey, front and back and inside cavity.
-
Step 15Heat oven to 350 degrees.
-
Step 16Place turkey, breast side down, onto roasting rack (or aluminum coils) and place into oven.
-
Step 17Roast turkey for 30 minutes; then, turn down oven to 325 degrees.
-
Step 18Roast for another hour, basting bird ever 30 minutes.
-
Step 19After 1/1/2 hours, take turkey out of the oven carefully...it's hot!
-
Step 20Carefully turn turkey breast side up and roast for another hour, basting every 30 minutes.
-
Step 21After an hour, remove roasting pan and loosely cover turkey with aluminum foil, like a tent.
-
Step 22Return to oven for an additional hour, continue the basting.
-
Step 23Take turkey out of oven and verify that turkey has reached 172 degrees, inside the thigh, with a roasting thermometer.
-
Step 24If turkey has not reached the 172 degrees, return to the oven checking temperature every 15 minutes. Be carefully not to overcook the turkey. It will be dried out if you do.
-
Step 25Take turkey out of the oven, remove from roaster, place on large cutting board. (I use one with grooves along the sides that catch juices.)
-
Step 26Let Turkey rest for 45 -60 minutes.
-
Step 27Carve, Serve, Enjoy.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
Comment & Reviews
ADVERTISEMENT
Just A Pinch Sweepstakes