Best Bay And Lemon Brined Turkey Recipes

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LEMON-HERB TURKEY WITH BAY BUTTER AND GRAVY



Lemon-Herb Turkey with Bay Butter and Gravy image

Bay leaves, rosemary, and lemon zest are tucked under the skin of this turkey and gently perfume the meat with a fragrant, floral flavor. Then the roast turkey is set on fresh bay branches for a dramatic presentation.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Meat & Poultry     Turkey Recipes

Time 3h45m

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen
6 fresh bay leaves
1 bunch fresh rosemary, woody stems removed
1 turkey (14 to 16 pounds), preferably heritage, neck and giblets reserved for stock, patted dry
Peeled zest of 2 lemons, plus 3 whole lemons
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 heads garlic, halved crosswise
3 cups turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
Freshly ground pepper

Steps:

  • In a bowl, combine butter and 3 tablespoons salt. Lightly pound bay leaves and two-thirds of rosemary in a mortar-and-pestle (or roll over a few times in a sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin), keeping leaves intact.
  • Using your fingers, separate turkey skin from breasts and legs. Rub half of butter mixture under skin. Tuck bay-rosemary mixture and lemon zest evenly under skin. Season both cavities with salt; stuff with all but 3 sprigs thyme and all but 3 sprigs remaining rosemary. Rub outside of turkey all over with remaining butter mixture. Transfer turkey to a roasting pan lined with a rack and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 24 hours and up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature 1 to 2 hours before roasting.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third. Prick whole lemons all over with the tines of a fork. Stuff 2 lemons into larger cavity, along with 1 head garlic; tie legs with kitchen twine. Stuff remaining lemon into neck cavity. Pour 1 cup stock into pan. Add remaining 1 head garlic.
  • Roast turkey 1 hour. Continue roasting, basting every 20 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh (near but not touching bone) registers 165°, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours, 30 minutes more, depending on size. If pan becomes dry during roasting, add more stock, 1/2 cup at a time. Transfer turkey to a carving board or platter; let stand at least 20 minutes before carving.
  • Meanwhile, remove rack from pan. Tilt pan and skim excess fat from drippings (or use a fat separator). Place pan across 2 burners. Carefully remove lemon from neck cavity and squeeze 1 to 2 tablespoons juice into drippings; squeeze cloves of roasted garlic from pan into drippings. Add remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups stock; boil until reduced by half and thickened slightly, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and more squeezes of lemon juice to taste. Strain gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Carve turkey and serve with gravy.

BAY & LEMON BRINED TURKEY



Bay & Lemon Brined Turkey image

A fool-proof way to make your turkey moist and delicious! This brine also works well with other poultry; my husband loves when I brine cornish game hens this way. To use on smaller poultry, just halve the ingredients, but allow the bird to brine just as long.

Provided by Maggie Heden @maggiekate09

Categories     Turkey

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 gallon water
1 cup(s) sugar
1 cup(s) kosher salt
2 - lemons, sliced in half
4 - bay leaves
3 - cinnamon sticks
1 - small handful of cloves
12-15 pound(s) whole turkey, defrosted

Steps:

  • Combine all ingredients except for turkey in a very large container or pot (big enough for ingredients + turkey). Make all sugar and salt are completely dissolved in water.
  • Add turkey, cover and refrigerate 6 hours to overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove turkey from brine and rinse in cool running water. Transfer to a roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with lemon halves, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks from the brine (discard the rest). Roast turkey, basting every 40 minutes, until juices run clear (cooking time will vary depending on size of bird). Let rest 10 minutes before carving.

CITRUS TURKEY BRINE



Citrus Turkey Brine image

A great citrus brine recipe. This will leave your Turkey very moist. You could also use it on other poultry in smaller amounts.

Provided by MPRADO

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes

Time 20m

Yield 15

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup salt
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 orange, cut into wedges
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 ½ gallons cold water

Steps:

  • Rub salt onto your turkey, and place remaining salt, lemons, oranges, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and pepper into a large pot. Place the turkey in the pot, and fill with water. Refrigerate overnight. Discard brine after removing turkey.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 5.7 calories, Carbohydrate 1.3 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fat 0 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 0.2 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 6239.2 mg, Sugar 0.3 g

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