ALTON BROWN'S BRINED TURKEY
A salt water brine changes the cellular structure of the turkey and allows it to both hold in the moisture, as well as pull the seasonings deep into the meat. It's actually a very simple process that will yield beautiful and delicious results. My mom told me how good Alton's recipe was and that she was going to repeat it again this year. I decided to try it myself. It's, hands-down, the best roasted turkey we've ever had. The brine and aromatics create an amazing symphony of flavors that starts with the aroma of making the brine and follows right through to the rich, full gravy. I've also used this recipe on a whole fresh chicken by halving the recipe and adjusting the cooking times.
Provided by Tinkerbell
Categories Whole Turkey
Time P2DT3h
Yield 12-14 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- 2 to 3 days before roasting:.
- Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
- Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
- The night before you'd like to eat:.
- Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
- Place the bird on rack of roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels.
- Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
- Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and cover the breast with a foil triangle. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 666.1, Fat 31.1, SaturatedFat 8.8, Cholesterol 263.4, Sodium 9696, Carbohydrate 12, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 10.7, Protein 79.3
ALTON BROWN'S CLASSIC BRINED AND ROASTED TURKEY
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Thawing the Turkey
- Place wrapped turkey in a 5-gallon cooler with a drain spout. Place cooler in a bathtub and cover turkey with cold water. Drain and replace water every 2-3 hours, keeping water temperature below 40°, until turkey has thawed, 8-10 hours.
- Brining the Turkey
- Clean cooler with soap and water, then pour in hot tap water, sugar, and salt. Stir thoroughly to dissolve sugar and salt. Then stir in ice and vegetable broth.
- Unwrap thawed turkey and remove any parts (such as neck, organs, etc.) that may be inside cavity. These may be saved for gravy.
- Place turkey in brine, breast side up. If your turkey floats, fill a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag with water and place it on top of turkey. Set cooler, lid closed, in a cool place, turning turkey over once if possible, 8-12 hours. Check brining liquid periodically with probe thermometer; if temperature is above 40°, add a few freezer packs that have been enclosed in resealable plastic bags.
- Remove turkey from brine, rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Do not stuff turkey.
- Roasting the Turkey
- Remove all oven racks except for one. Set this rack in the next-to-the-lowest position. Preheat the oven to 500°.
- Loosely pack turkey with a combination of herbs, carrots, celery, and onion. Keep packing loose.
- Place turkey, breast side up, on a V-shaped rack set inside a large roasting pan. Cut a piece of foil big enough to cover the turkey's breast. Mold piece to breast. Remove foil, then grease with spray.
- Rub butter between your hands until liberally greased (you may use disposable gloves if desired). Rub butter into turkey. You may need to re-butter your hands a couple times in order to get a nice, even coating.
- Place turkey in oven, neck end first and breast up. Roast turkey until nicely browned, 30-40 minutes. Apply foil to breast of turkey. Insert thermometer probe directly through foil into deepest part of breast.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350° and return turkey to oven, foil securely in place. Do not open oven to baste turkey. Roast until probe registers 161° for breast and 181° for thigh, 2-2½ hours.
- Cover turkey with foil and let rest 30 minutes. Save pan drippings for gravy.
- Carve turkey.
- Gravy (Optional)
- Mix pan drippings with water, chicken broth, and cornstarch. Heat in a small saucepan over medium until thickened.
ALTON BROWN HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY
Categories turkey Thanksgiving Dinner Grill/Barbecue
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
- Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.
- Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.
- Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or on the metal bar over the gas flame. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, after 1 hour, replace wood chips with second cup.
- Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.
BUTTERFLIED, DRY BRINED ROASTED TURKEY ALTON BROWN
Categories turkey
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- For the turkey: Four days before service, place the salt, sage, thyme, black peppercorns, and allspice into a spice grinder and pulse until the peppercorns and allspice are coarsely ground, 5 to 6 pulses. Set aside. Set the turkey, breast-side down, on a large cutting board with the tail closest to you. Use an electric knife or heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut up one side of the backbone. Turn the bird around and cut back down the other side of the spine. Reserve the backbone for Giblet Stock. Discard any fat pockets or excess skin found inside the turkey. Turn the turkey breast-side up and use the heel of your hands to press down on both breasts, until you hear a cracking sound and the bird has flattened slightly. Rub the seasoned salt on both sides of the turkey. Place the turkey on a parchment paper lined half sheet pan, breast-side up with legs running with the long side of the pan. Store, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 4 days. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Place one rack in the middle of the oven and a second one far enough below so the roasting pan will fit. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the turkey directly on the middle rack of the oven with the legs perpendicular to the metal bars of the rack. Place the roasting pan with XXX on the rack below the turkey and roast both for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Add the red onion to the roasting vegetables and stir to combine. Continue to roast both the vegetables and the turkey until a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 degrees F, an additional 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven onto a cooling rack set inside a half sheet pan and rest for 30 minutes.
ALTON BROWN BRINED TURKEY
Categories turkey Roast Thanksgiving
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- 2 to 3 days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F. Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine. Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil. Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.
BRINED TURKEY (FROM ALTON BROWN)
Steps:
- Thaw turkey (slow method) - Place the bird in a cooler with an inch of ice in the bottom. Park it in a cool place. Bird should be workable in about four days. Brine - take out all parts from within turkey. Clean 5 gallon cooler. Pour in half gallon hot water, 2/3 cup sugar and a pound of salt. Stir thoroughly to dissolve salt. Stir in 8lbs of ice and 16 cups (128 oz) of veg. broth. Place turkey in brine, breast up. Bird should be completely covered (if not use a gallon resealable bag filled with water to weigh down turkey). Let sit for 8-12 hours. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place oven rack in next to lowest position. Remove turkey from brine. Rinse under cold water and pat dry. Loosely pack the bird with fresh herbs, carrots & onions. Use a wire rack (or V-shaped rack) in roasting pan. Place turkey on wire rack, breast side up. Liberally rub butter into turkey. Get nice even coating over turkey. Cut a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil big enough to cover the turkey breast (folded in half). Spray non-shiny side with PAM and set onto turkey breast. Put bird in oven (without aluminum foil breast shield) for 30 minutes. Check to see that breast in nicely browned (if not, put back in for 10 more minutes). Reduce oven to 350 degrees, put foil shield on turkey breast, insert thermometer through foil into deepest part of breast. Set probe to go off at 161 degrees. Do not open oven until temp is reached. Will usually take 2 to 2.5 hours. Dark meat should be at 180 degrees (note salmonella kill temp is 165 degrees - bird will continue to cook). After removing from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 30 min.
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What is brining?
Brining is a process that involves soaking meat in a solution of water and salt, along with some other flavoring agents like sugar, herbs, and spices. The salt in the brine dissolves the meat proteins, which allows the brine to penetrate deep into the meat. This results in a moist and juicy turkey that is packed with flavor. The brine also helps to tenderize the meat and make it more tender.Why brine a Turkey?
There are several reasons why you should brine your turkey. Brining helps to enhance the flavor of the meat, making it tastier and more enjoyable. It also helps to trap moisture in the meat, preventing it from drying out during cooking. This results in a succulent and juicy turkey that everyone will love. Additionally, brining helps to tenderize the meat, making it easier to cut and eat.Alton Brown's Brining Recipe
Alton Brown's brined turkey recipe is a popular one, and for good reason. It results in a flavor-packed and moist turkey that is perfect for any occasion. Here are the ingredients needed for his brine:Ingredients:
- 1 gallon water
- 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tablespoon allspice berries
- 1 tablespoon candied ginger
- 1 gallon heavily iced water
Instructions:
- Combine all the brine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let the brine cool to room temperature.
- Clean the turkey and remove the neck and giblets. Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water.
- Place the turkey in a large brining bag or pot.
- Pour the cooled brine over the turkey and add enough iced water to cover the bird.
- Seal the bag or cover the pot with a lid and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, but no longer than 16 hours.
- Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse it thoroughly with cold water. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- Let the turkey sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.