The following from today's San Francisco Chronicle. There has been
dialogue in this NG about how much salt and how much sugar for turkey
brine. One wouldn't ordinarily post a newspaper article. Alice Water's
credentials, however make that appropriate, in my mind.
Please note that 2 cups kosher salt to 2.5 gallons of water is even less
than my 4 oz table salt to 1 gallon of water.
As well, here is the URL for the original article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...DG71316TG1.DTL
Happy Thanksgiving,
Kent
BEST WAY BRINED TURKEY
After cooking nearly 40 turkeys in The Chronicle's test kitchen, we
found a brined turkey to be the best. The brine, a seasoned
salt-sugar-water mixture, is from Chez Panisse's Alice Waters and is
published in "The Secrets of Success Cookbook," by Michael Bauer.
INGREDIENTS:
1 turkey, about 12 pounds
Brine
1 cup sugar
2 cups kosher salt
2 1/2 gallons cold water
2 bay leaves, torn into pieces
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
5 whole allspice berries, crushed
4 juniper berries, smashed (see Note)
Roasting
2 tablespoons softened butter + butter for basting
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1 cup chicken stock, or more as needed
INSTRUCTIONS: Brining: Clean the turkey by removing the giblet bag, any
extra internal fat and any pin feathers. Rinse well under cold tap
water.
Combine sugar, salt and 3 to 4 quarts of the cold water in a large bowl.
Stir until sugar and salt dissolve, then add the bay leaves, thyme,
garlic, allspice and juniper berries. Double-bag two heavy-duty,
unscented, trash bags (not made of recycled materials), then put them in
an ice chest that is large enough to hold the turkey. Place turkey in
the doubled bags, pour in the brine, then the remaining 1 1/2 gallons
cold water -- there should be enough liquid to completely submerge the
bird. Press out all the air in the bags, then tightly close each bag
separately. Keep the turkey cold with bags of ice, which also help keep
it submerged in the brine. Brine for 12 to 24 hours.
Alternate method: Instead of using an ice chest, place the turkey and
brine in a large pan or bowl and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. If the
turkey floats to the top, weight it down with a plate and cans to keep
it completely submerged.
Roasting: Preheat the oven to 400°. Remove the turkey from the brine,
rinse and dry well. Spread 2 tablespoons softened butter over the skin
and sprinkle pepper over the skin and in the cavity. Tuck the wing tips
under, loosely truss the legs and place the turkey on a V-shaped rack in
a roasting pan. Tent breast with foil and place turkey in the oven.
Roasting note: To assure that the bird cooks evenly, rotate the roasting
pan 180 degrees every 30 minutes while the turkey is in the oven.
Roast for about 1 hour, remove the foil and baste the turkey with 1/2
cup stock. Return to the oven and roast, basting with pan drippings and
more stock (if desired) every 20 minutes. Start checking the internal
temperature after about 1 hour of roasting time. If the legs begin to
get too brown, cover them loosely with foil. Roast the turkey until the
internal thigh temperature reaches 165°. Total roasting time should be
about 2 to 2 3/4 hours.
Let rest at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.