I need the BEST Turkey Brine Recipe?!
Answers: Please help..I have fresh Sage and Rosemary...
Ingredients:
1 whole 12 to 14 lb turkey, 1/2 cup rosemary sprigs(fresh), 1/2 cup sage leaves(fresh), 1 apple(quartered), 1 stalk celery(halved), 1 onion(halved), 1/2 cup butter(melted).
not need all the ingredients
Method to cook after u get all the ingredents
Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for other uses if desired. Rinse turkey with cold water and pat dry.Loosen skin from the turkey breast a bit not totally detaching. Place rosemary and sage under skin then smooth skin over herbs and back into place.Place apple celery and onion into the neck cavity. Place the turkey breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and brush with melted butter. Cover turkey loosely with a "tent" of aluminum foil.Bake at 325 degrees until meat thermometer registers about 180 degrees. This should take from 3 1/2 to 4 hours but begin checking after 3 hours. Remove turkey and let stand 15 minutes before carving. Serve with gravy.
This is the best one yet - I brine mine every year...
1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil
Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a
boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature,
and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and
ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in
brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours.
Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.
A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple,
onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave
on high for 5 minutes.
Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.
Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels.
Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings
and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.
Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe
thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing
temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161
degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of
roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.
Happy Holidays!
I can really help, but this recipe that the other person gave you is so freakin complete. I could not have put it better, but I ALWAYS add a big can of beer, it is wonderful!! Good Luck and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Brining isn't really about infusing with flavor, it's about maximizing moisture in the meat you are brining. If it were me, I would skip brining altogether (brining leaves the meat with a texture similar to ham, that I didn't like in poultry), and mix the sage and rosemary with some butter, then rub the butter under the skin of my turkey. Throw any extra in the cavity, with an onion and an apple or lemon, truss and bake. Yuuummmm!