Turkey brine recipes?!
Ingredients
For the turkey
4-5kg/9-11?lb turkey
6 litres/10 pints 11fl oz water
125g/4?oz packet table salt
3 tbsp black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp caraway seeds
4 cloves
2 tbsp allspice berries
4 star anise
2 tbsp white mustard seeds
200g/7oz caster sugar
2 onions, quartered
1 x 6cm/3in piece of ginger, cut into 6 slices
1 orange, quartered
4 tbsp maple syrup
4 tbsp clear honey
handful fresh parsley, optional (only if you've got some parsley hanging around)
For the basting glaze
75g/2?oz butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
Method
1. For the turkey, place the water into your largest cooking pot or bucket/plastic bin and add all the turkey ingredients, stirring to dissolve the salt, sugar, syrup and honey. (Squeeze the juice of the orange quarters into the brine before you chuck the pieces in.)
2. Untie and remove any string or trussing attached to the turkey, shake it free and add it to the liquid. Add more water if the turkey is not completely submerged. Keep the mixture in a cold place, even outside overnight or for up to a day or two before you cook it, remembering to take it out of its liquid (and wiping it dry with kitchen-towel) a good 40 or 50 minutes before it has to go into the oven. Turkeys - indeed this is the case for all meat - should be at room temperature before being put in the preheated oven. If you're at all concerned - the cold water in the brine will really chill this bird - then just cook the turkey for longer than its actual weight requires.
3. For the basting glaze, place the butter and syrup into a saucepan and cook over a low heat, while stirring, until the ingredients have melted and combined.
4. Brush the turkey with the glaze before roasting, and baste periodically through out the turkey roasting time.
5. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Cook the turkey for half an hour at this relatively high temperature, then turn the oven down to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and continue cooking, turning the oven back up to 220C/425F/Gas 7 for the last quarter of an hour or so if you want to give a final, browning boost to the skin. For a 4-5kg turkey, allow two-and-a-half to three hours in total. But remember that ovens vary enormously, so just check by piercing the flesh between leg and body with a small sharp knife: when the juices run clear, the turkey's cooked.
6. Just as it's crucial to let the turkey come to room temperature before it goes in to the oven, so it's important to let it stand out of the oven for a good 20 minutes before you actually carve it.
Answers: the best ever... nigella's,.. here it is, and for a brining recipe, i've never had a better one. i feed over 30 a year, trust me, it's a winner!!! GL!!
Ingredients
For the turkey
4-5kg/9-11?lb turkey
6 litres/10 pints 11fl oz water
125g/4?oz packet table salt
3 tbsp black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp caraway seeds
4 cloves
2 tbsp allspice berries
4 star anise
2 tbsp white mustard seeds
200g/7oz caster sugar
2 onions, quartered
1 x 6cm/3in piece of ginger, cut into 6 slices
1 orange, quartered
4 tbsp maple syrup
4 tbsp clear honey
handful fresh parsley, optional (only if you've got some parsley hanging around)
For the basting glaze
75g/2?oz butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
Method
1. For the turkey, place the water into your largest cooking pot or bucket/plastic bin and add all the turkey ingredients, stirring to dissolve the salt, sugar, syrup and honey. (Squeeze the juice of the orange quarters into the brine before you chuck the pieces in.)
2. Untie and remove any string or trussing attached to the turkey, shake it free and add it to the liquid. Add more water if the turkey is not completely submerged. Keep the mixture in a cold place, even outside overnight or for up to a day or two before you cook it, remembering to take it out of its liquid (and wiping it dry with kitchen-towel) a good 40 or 50 minutes before it has to go into the oven. Turkeys - indeed this is the case for all meat - should be at room temperature before being put in the preheated oven. If you're at all concerned - the cold water in the brine will really chill this bird - then just cook the turkey for longer than its actual weight requires.
3. For the basting glaze, place the butter and syrup into a saucepan and cook over a low heat, while stirring, until the ingredients have melted and combined.
4. Brush the turkey with the glaze before roasting, and baste periodically through out the turkey roasting time.
5. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Cook the turkey for half an hour at this relatively high temperature, then turn the oven down to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and continue cooking, turning the oven back up to 220C/425F/Gas 7 for the last quarter of an hour or so if you want to give a final, browning boost to the skin. For a 4-5kg turkey, allow two-and-a-half to three hours in total. But remember that ovens vary enormously, so just check by piercing the flesh between leg and body with a small sharp knife: when the juices run clear, the turkey's cooked.
6. Just as it's crucial to let the turkey come to room temperature before it goes in to the oven, so it's important to let it stand out of the oven for a good 20 minutes before you actually carve it.
Alton Brown's the Best if you're anal ::
www.foodtv.com
But I find that the normal kosher salt/sugar one does just as well and I'm a foodie! He even recommends a cheap supermarket turkey after comparing expensive supermarket and really expensive health food turkeys!
Here's His brine and recipe ::
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/...
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TURKEY BRINE
4 quarts water (24 cups)
3 1/2 cups kosher or sea salt
4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cracked peppercorns
7-8 cloves garlic
5 bay leaves, crumbled coarsely
Wash and dry a cooler which is large enough to hold the turkey you will be placing in the brine. (Or use a food grade plastic bag made for the purpose, available at your supermarket; this method will require only half the amount of brine.)
Prepare brine by combining ingredients in a stainless steel or enamel pan (do not use aluminum). Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until all of the sugar and salt are dissolved. Allow brine too cool. Pour into cooler (or bag, if using).
Add 2-3 quarts of ice; enough to bring the temperature of the brine to about 35F degrees. (Or, if using a plastic bag, add 1 1/2 quarts cold water and refrigerate the brine until it reaches this temperature.)
Remove giblets, neck, etc. from inside turkey and refrigerate to use later on for making gravy, stuffing, or broth. Wash turkey well, inside and out. Rub inside of turkey liberally with additional kosher or sea salt.
Prepare sufficient brine to submerge turkey entirely. Recipe may be doubled, if required (or halved, if using a plastic bag for the brining).
When the brine is cold, add the turkey to the cooler or plastic bag. Keep the turkey cold (35F or below). This can be accomplished by adding ice, or placing the cooler or plastic bag in a cold place. Check temperature to be sure it does not go above 40F. (Note: A frozen turkey can be brined until it has thawed).
When ready to roast the turkey, remove from brine and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Pat dry with a clean towel. Rub turkey skin with 2 tablespoons melted butter combined with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Bacon drippings can be added for extra flavor. Sprinkle turkey with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika.
Proceed to Roast Turkey.
Brining is simply soaking in a salt water solution.
The benefits of brining are many fold. First, brining provides a
cushion for the breast meat, so even if it overcooks by ten
degrees or so, it remains moist.
Secondly, the meat of a brined bird tastes pleasantly seasoned,
which eliminates the need to season before and after roasting.
Because the turkey sits overnight in a tub of salted water, brining
also ensures that all parts of the turkey are at the same
temperature. This is especially good insurance if you're roasting
a previously frozen bird.
Yet another benefit is that the turkey meat absorbs water during
the brining process. Water is a heat conductor and therefore
expedites cooking. We tested this theory and found that indeed, a
brined bird cooks faster than an unbrined one by about thirty
minutes. So while it may seem like added work, dunking a bird
in the brine is worth it for a whole host of reasons.
Two important notes about brining: Do not brine for longer
times than those recommended here, and be sure to rinse the
bird until all traces of salt are gone it will take several minutes
when it's done brining. Both of these measures will prevent the
bird from becoming too salty.