Apple-Brined Turkey
Source: www.foodandwine.com/recipes/apple-brined-turkey
Ingredients
- 3 cups apple juice
- 1 green apple, quartered
- 1/2 navel orange
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 4 tarragon sprigs
- 1 medium bunch of thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 8 sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup kosher salt
- One 15-pound turkey, legs and breast separated (see Note)
- 6 sticks unsalted butter (1 1/2 pounds), at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons chopped thyme
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped sage
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Directions
- Brine the Turkey In a pot, combine all of the ingredients except the turkey and add 4 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Remove from the heat and add 12 cups of cold water.
- Let stand until cool.
- Add the turkey and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Brine the Turkey Set a rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
- Remove the turkey from the brine and transfer it to the prepared rack; pat the turkey dry with paper towels and refrigerate it uncovered for 12 hours.
- Make the Herb Butter In a medium bowl, blend all of the ingredients except the salt and pepper.
- Make the Herb Butter Set a clean rack over a clean baking sheet and set a large rack in a large roasting pan.
- Gently separate the turkey skin from the breast meat.
- Rub half of the herb butter over the breast meat under the skin.
- Spread the remaining herb butter all over the skin of the breast and legs; season with salt and pepper.
- Set the breast in the prepared roasting pan and tuck the wings under it.
- Transfer the legs to the prepared baking sheet.
- Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Make the Herb Butter Preheat the oven to 400.
- Roast the turkey for about 2 hours, basting every 15 minutes with the melted herb butter and tenting the breast with foil after 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 in the thickest part of the breast and 180 in the inner thigh.
- Let rest for 30 minutes.
- Carve and serve.