BRINED TURKEY (FROM ALTON BROWN)

BRINED TURKEY (FROM ALTON BROWN) image

Yield 12 people

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1 18 pound frozen turkey
Fresh herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, and sage)
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
Non-stick vegetable oil spray
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 gallon hot tap water
2/3 cup sugar
1 pound kosher salt (2 cups of Morton koser)
8 pounds ice (which is a gallon of water)
16 cups (128 ounces) vegetable broth

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.