What would Julia (as in Child) do? She’d just roast the bird, a little salt and pepper and call it a good turkey day. But modernist cooks like to keep things just a tad complicated and if you’re one, brining is for you.
For years I didn’t brine my bird. I’d buy a good farm-raised local bird that had plenty of flavor all on its own. My thought was it’s just a bit bigger than a large chicken so why go through such conniptions over this holiday-stoked bird?
Still, to brine or not to brine, that is the question that most of us ponder when it’s time to roast that darn turkey for a thoroughly American Thanksgiving dinner. My simple answer is: Brine it!
Turkeys galore at the markets
It adds flavor and moisture (juiciness) to the bird. You can also just simply season the bird generously with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over inside and out. Chill it in the refrigerator overnight in a plastic bag (oven bags or brining bags are perfect for this). This basically qualifies as a simple dry brine. Several hours before you plan to roast the bird, uncover it and allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. This method produces a very crisp-skinned bird.
I like to stuff my bird, though many chefs don’t recommend this since it prolongs the cooking time and the turkey cooks unevenly. I say hogwash. I always stuff the bird; what emerges is a deliciously flavored stuffing that has soaked up all those turkey juices instead of the dried out mess that roasts in the oven in a separate casserole dish.
One word of warning, do not season the stuffing with salt if you’re putting it into a brined bird. Another pointer is do not include the innards in your brine. Save the giblets, neck and liver for the gravy.
If you wet brine, thoroughly dry the bird before roasting, using paper towels. As for basting, some experts say it’s unnecessary if you rub the bird with oil before roasting. TV foodie Alton Brown firmly believes that basting is unnecessary; constantly opening the oven to baste the bird prolongs the cooking time.
If you’ve wet brined, thoroughly rinse the bird inside and out otherwise it could be too salty. If you’ve dry brined just wipe the bird dry before roasting.
Still to Come
See Monday’s post for two classic pumpkin pie recipes. And remember to get those long-pie pumpkins if you’re going to make your own filling for the pie. Rosemont Market has them and some farmers markets, but not easily found. Otherwise any local pumpkin or butternut squash work fine.
For further reading look at these online sources regarding how to brine and roast a turkey:
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015474-simple-roast-turkey
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/254-brined-roast-turkey
http://video.epicurious.com/watch/epicurious-essentials-cooking-how-tos-how-to-dry-brine-a-turkey
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/traditional-roast-turkey-recipe.html
Ingredients
- Wet Brine
- For a 12- 14 pound turkey
- 1/2 cup to 1 cup Morton’s kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- A few sprigs thyme
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 to 3 bay leaves
- 1 lemon, quartered
Instructions
- Dissolve the salt and sugar in 1/2 gallon water and bring just to the simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat. Add 4 quarts cold water, the peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves, garlic and lemon. Chill this mixture thoroughly before immersing the bird in the brine.
- If you have enough space in your refrigerator put the turkey in a brining bucket or other large vessel; Whole Foods sells these buckets. You can also use a sterilized cooler (use Clorox and rinse the cooler thoroughly) to keep outside if the temperature is 38 degrees or below. Put the turkey in the cooler, add the brining solution and then cover that with ice completely.
- Otherwise use the bag method, which will take up less space in the refrigerator; use double bags if you’re using a brining or oven bag, putting one inside the other.
- Put the bird, breast side down, into brining bags and add the brine and spices. Gather the bag up, pressing out the air and close the bag using string or ties. Do the same with the other bag. Put the brined, bagged turkey onto a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the turkey from the bag and allow to air dry in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours. Allow the bird to come to near room temperature by placing it on the counter (about 1 hour) before roasting.
- Oil the bird all over or rub with softened butter. Then soak a large piece of cheesecloth in 1 stick butter (or more depending on the size of the turkey). Drape the cheesecloth over the breast and then cover the breast with strips of fatty bacon. One hour before the turkey is done, remove the cheesecloth soak and finish roasting, basting to ensure that the skin is nicely browned.
- Dry Brine for 12 to 14 pound turkey
- For the dry brine, rub the turkey all over with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of turkey (about 1/3 cup for the average size bird). Rub the turkey all over with 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper and the grated zest from one lemon. Transfer to a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag or oven bag. Add several sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary and 1 bunch sage; add 6 cloves crushed garlic. Refrigerate overnight. Remove the turkey from the bag, dry with paper towels and return to the refrigerator, placed on a baking sheet or pan for 4 hours before roasting.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- To roast put the bird on a roasting rack set in a large roasting pan. Add one quartered and peeled onion to the bottom of the pan and about 1 1/2 cups liquid such as wine, stock or cider. Roast for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees. Roast until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted into breast and thigh. Allow to rest, loosely covered with foil, for about 20 minutes before carving.
Notes
Use either the wet or dry brine. Increase the water and salt for a larger turkey. Use about 1/2 cup to 1 cup per gallon of water