Thanksgiving Turkey

Finally.

A turkey.

The ultimate tradition in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

I hope it's not much of a surprise that the last post in this five part Thanksgiving series would be a turkey. Come on, what were you expecting? Lasagna?

Parts one, two, three and four of my own personal Thanksgiving dinner can be found clicking the links.

The turkey. 

Almost proud symbol of this great nation. 

Now relegated to being an overweight, domesticated consumer product that tastes decidedly delicious drowning in gravy and mashed potatoes.

While I have made a couple of turkeys before, I definitely changed up my preparation a bit, utilizing the brining technique, courtesy Alton Brown. Check it out after the jump.

Process

This was my first time making a brined turkey. It came out lovely. I will definitely do it again, but next time I'll experiment with the aromatics. I feel that they could have added more apple-spice flavor to the final product. Cider instead of water perhaps?

Seeing that I have never done this before, I decided to go to a trusted source, Alton Brown. If you don't know who he is, check out his shows, cookbooks or website. Chef Brown is good at what he does, plus he's quirky and entertaining. I enjoy his style as he explains the technique and science behind cooking, history behind dishes, and how you can prepare different things, different ways. His recipes relate well to the engineer in me. The recipe used below is his Good Eats Roast Turkey. 

First get your turkey. A smaller turkey works a little better with this recipe (about 14-16 lbs). I used a 14 pound turkey. It doesn't matter whether it is frozen or thawed as long as it is thawed by the time you begin brining. Do not overlook this little detail, otherwise you will be eating your turkey on Black Friday.

Once the bird has been selected, you can prepare your brine as early as three days prior to the long soak. Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice and ginger together in a large pot. Bring this to a boil and then remove from the heat. Let the brine cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator until it is needed.

On the night before you are ready to serve your turkey, you can begin the soak in the salty bath. Plan for eight to sixteen hours of immersion before you begin cooking. Ideally, let the bird sit the entire night before but you can begin the soak early in the morning the day of. Combine the brine and ice water together in a five gallon bucket or large cooler. I preferred the cooler as my fridge would not handle a five gallon bucket. Prepare the turkey by washing it in cold water and removing the innards. Place it breast side down in the brine and ensure it is fully immersed. You can weigh it down if needed.

Let it soak.

And soak.

And soak some more.

During the process, ensure it stays cold by adding more ice if needed. Return sixteen hours later and you can begin to actually cook the darn thing. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the bird from the brine and wash it in cold water. You can dump the brine at this point. Dry off the turkey with paper-towels.

Now it is time to prepare the aromatics. Like I said, I might try replacing the water with cider and throw in some more cinnamon for a bit more spice. Beer might also be a good alternative. Slice up an apple and onion. Combine with one cup water and the cinnamon stick in a microwavable dish. Nuke the aromatics on high for about five minutes.

Add the steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. I tied up sprigs and leaves together in a little herb bundle. This allowed for easier handling and preparation of the turkey. Tuck the wings under the bird in the roasting pan. Finally, lather the bird's skin with enough canola oil to shame the eighty-year-old tanner you see poolside in Las Vegas. Think this.

Roast the bird at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. The oil and this high temperature will create the lovely crisp brown skin. Afterwards, cool the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for two to two and a half hours. This will fully depend on the size of the bird. Use a meat thermometer and the turkey is ready when the internal temperature has reached 161 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the turkey rest for fifteen minutes before carving. It is a good idea to loosely cover it in foil to prevent any drafts from cooling it. Carve and enjoy!

On a side note, I did not cook one of these wild turkeys that are found throughout my complex. The picture below has three adults and a dozen poults and was taken during the summer. The current count in my complex has upwards of twenty-plus adult turkeys gobbling about. It's actually becoming a problem.

Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients

1 14-16 lbs turkey, frozen or thawed

1 cup Kosher salt

1 gal vegetable stock

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbs black peppercorns

1 1/2 tsp allspice

1 1/2 tsp ginger

1 gal ice water

1 red apple, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

1 stick cinnamon

1 cup water

4 sprigs rosemary

6 sage leaves

Canola oil

Directions

1. Begin thawing the turkey 2 to 3 days before you intend to cook it. Ideally, you want it thawed by the time you start the brining process.
2. To prepare the brine, complete the following. Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice, and ginger in a large pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, refrigerate until needed.
3. The night before (or early day of) combine the brine and ice water in a 5-gallon bucket or large cooler. Prep the turkey by washing and removing the innards. Place breast side down, making sure the entire bird is immersed in the brine. Cover and let it sit in the brine for at least 8 hours, but try to let it be for upwards of 16 hours. 
4. After the brining has taken place, preheat the oven to 500°F. Remove from the brine and rinse the entire bird (inside and out) with cold water. You can dump the brine as it is no longer needed.
5. Place the bird on a roasting rack or baking pan and pat dry with a paper-towel.
6. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and nuke for 5 minutes on high. Add this mixture into the turkey's cavity, along with the rosemary and sage leaves. Tying the herbs together can be helpful when handling. Coat the skin with canola oil.
7. Roast the turkey at 500°F for 30 minutes. Afterwards, turn the oven down to 350°F and insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. Cook the turkey for 2 to 2 1/2 hours depending on the initial weight. The turkey is ready when the internal temperature reaches 161°F.
8. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes, loosely covered, prior to carving.