Brined Turkey

Jody Pravecek

Emeril’s recipe for roasted turkey. Comes out juicy and flavorful, but not salty.

ingredients

Brine

1 c. kosher salt
1 c. brown sugar
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
6 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary

Turkey

1 10-12 lb. turkey
4 T. butter
salt and pepper
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/8ths
1 stalk celery, cut into 1" pieces
1 large carrot, cut into 1" pieces
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1/2 bunch sage
3-4 sprigs parsley
chicken stock for basting, optional

directions

For the Brine

Dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a large cooler or stockpot. Add lemons, oranges, thyme and rosemary. Clean turkey and remove giblets. Rinse. Soak in brine for 4-24 hours.

For the turkey...

Preheat to 325°. Remove turkey from brine and rinse well. Place in roasting pan. Rub with orange section and season with salt and pepper. Stuff turkey with onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley. Top with butter. Roast until largest section of thigh reaches 165°, approximately 2 3/4 - 3 hours, basting occasionally. Serve with pan gravy.

notes

If making the turkey in the winter and you cannot fit it in the refridgerator,I usually put it in a garbage bag in pot in the garage to keep it nice and cold.

Source: Jody Pravecek