Wine and Brine Turkey, for Thanksgiving smiles!
A dear friend asked me if I could provide him a recipe for Thanksgiving for a turkey. This recipe is easy and simple, though it looks long. Read it first, gather what you'll need, and start on the afternoon of the Wednesday before Thanksgiving with a thawed turkey. Have fun and enjoy!
What ya need:
Using a mortar & pestle or a spice grinder (coffee grinders work here too) finely grind and combine the rosemary, sage, thyme, and poultry seasoning. Then, in a large stockpot, combine the spice mix with the salt and vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to make sure everything is well incorporated. Once the mixture is boiling, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. In a large container (think 5-gallon bucket or so), mix the room temperature spiced broth with the cold water.
Rinse and pat-dry your turkey, removing all of the innards, if they are still there. Place the turkey, legs up, breast down, into the bucket. making sure that the cavity of the turkey is filled with the solution as well as the outside. Add any extra cold water you may need. Leave this bucket in the fridge (or tightly sealed outside in a place that doesn't exceed 40ºF) overnight.
The next day, remove the turkey from the brine mixture, carefully draining off any excess brine from the inside, and softly pat dry.Be sure to reserve 2 cups of this brine for later.
Preheat the oven to 450ºF. In a bowl, place a large cheesecloth into the wine and let it soak. Place the turkey into a roasting pan, breast-up, as you see in all of the pictures of turkeys. Place the stick of butter into the cavity of the turkey. Place the turkey into the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350ºF and drape the wine-soaked cheesecloth over the turkey. Now mix the leftover wine with the reserved brine and set aside.
Every 30 minutes, baste the turkey with the brine and wine, until the internal temperature of the turkey at its thickest part is 165ºF. Don't rely on the plastic pop up thing, as it work with density and can often overcook or undercook a brined turkey. Use a meat thermometer. If the brine and wine run out before the turkey is done, baste they turkey with the juices at the bottom of the pan.
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes. Reserve the pan drippings for either gravy, or for some liquid to store leftovers. Carve the turkey as desired and enjoy!
What ya need:
- 12 lb turkey, thawed (if frozen)
- 1 gallon of vegetable broth
- 1 gallon of very cold tap water
- 1 cup of finely ground sea salt
- 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon of dried sage
- 1 tablespoon of dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon of dried poultry seasoning
- 1 stick (1/4 lb) of unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
Using a mortar & pestle or a spice grinder (coffee grinders work here too) finely grind and combine the rosemary, sage, thyme, and poultry seasoning. Then, in a large stockpot, combine the spice mix with the salt and vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to make sure everything is well incorporated. Once the mixture is boiling, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. In a large container (think 5-gallon bucket or so), mix the room temperature spiced broth with the cold water.
Rinse and pat-dry your turkey, removing all of the innards, if they are still there. Place the turkey, legs up, breast down, into the bucket. making sure that the cavity of the turkey is filled with the solution as well as the outside. Add any extra cold water you may need. Leave this bucket in the fridge (or tightly sealed outside in a place that doesn't exceed 40ºF) overnight.
The next day, remove the turkey from the brine mixture, carefully draining off any excess brine from the inside, and softly pat dry.Be sure to reserve 2 cups of this brine for later.
Preheat the oven to 450ºF. In a bowl, place a large cheesecloth into the wine and let it soak. Place the turkey into a roasting pan, breast-up, as you see in all of the pictures of turkeys. Place the stick of butter into the cavity of the turkey. Place the turkey into the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350ºF and drape the wine-soaked cheesecloth over the turkey. Now mix the leftover wine with the reserved brine and set aside.
Every 30 minutes, baste the turkey with the brine and wine, until the internal temperature of the turkey at its thickest part is 165ºF. Don't rely on the plastic pop up thing, as it work with density and can often overcook or undercook a brined turkey. Use a meat thermometer. If the brine and wine run out before the turkey is done, baste they turkey with the juices at the bottom of the pan.
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes. Reserve the pan drippings for either gravy, or for some liquid to store leftovers. Carve the turkey as desired and enjoy!
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