Apple Brine For Turkey Recipes

Steps:

• Line a cooler with a large food safe bag. Combine the apple juice, water, and salt in the bag; stir until the salt is dissolved; add the garlic.
• To use: Lie your turkey into the brine with the breast-side down; add more water to submerge turkey completely if needed. Pour the ice over the turkey. Seal the bag and close the cooler; allow to sit overnight.

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil garlic, onions, and orange and saute for 4 minutes. Add the cider and bring to a simmer. Add the salt and herbs and let simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the water and the ice. Stir until the brine is cooled to at least room temperature. Add the turkey to the pot. The turkey should be completely submerged in the brine. Cover with a lid and put in the refrigerator. Let the turkey brine for a minimum of 12 hours and no more than 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
• Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Tuck the wings under the back portion of the breast. Tie the legs together with piece of butcher's twine. Put the turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Add the chicken broth to the roasting pan. Put in the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes per pound, about 3 hours. Make sure to baste the turkey every 20 minutes with the pan drippings. If the turkey begins to brown too quickly tent it loosely with foil. Remove the foil the last 30 minutes of cooking. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board or serving platter and let rest at least 15 minutes before carving.
• Carve the turkey and serve with the Gravy.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until the flour turns a light brown color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in the pan drippings and the chicken broth. Add the thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let the gravy simmer until thick, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• To brine the turkey: Combine all of the ingredients for the brine in a large container. Add the turkey and let it brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
• To prepare the turkey for cooking: Remove the turkey from the brine the night before roasting and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Combine the rosemary, sage, and butter for the herb crust in a small bowl. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Work the butter under the skin of the turkey and massage it into the breasts and the legs. Massage the butter on the outside of the skin as well. Tie the legs together over the breast so they will protect it during cooking and help keep it moist and juicy.
• Gravy preparation: Put the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, apples, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and thyme in a roasting pan and season with salt. Arrange the turkey on top of the veggies and refrigerate overnight UNCOVERED! Yes, that's right, uncovered. This will help the skin dry out and become really brown and crispy. Make sure that there is no raw food near the turkey in the refrigerator. After refrigerating overnight, the turkey is ready to go in the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Put 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until the skin gets really nice and brown, about 40 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F for the remainder of the cooking time. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so and add more stock to the roasting pan, if needed. Cook about 17 minutes per pound. Once it gets to the proper color, tent the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.
• Remove the turkey from the oven when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey registers 160 degrees F. Make sure that the thermometer is not touching a bone when doing the reading. When the turkey has reached the proper temperature, remove it from the roasting pan to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
• Strain all the veggies over a bowl to separate them from the stock/mixture. Discard the veggies. Skim off the fat and add it to the roasting pan. This is the fat for the roux. Put the roasting pan over 2 burners and over a low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture looks like wet sand, about 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1 cup apple cider, remaining chicken stock and the stock/cider mixture. Cook until the mixture has thickened and reached a gravy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pour into a serving pitcher or bowl.
• Carve the turkey, transfer to a serving platter and serve with the gravy.
• Give thanks for such a great turkey!!!

Steps:

• To make the brine, in a large kettle, combine the first 7 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in oranges. Remove from the heat. Add cold water to cool the brine to room temperature., Remove giblets from turkey (discard or save for another use). Place a turkey-sized oven roasting bag inside a second roasting bag; add turkey. Carefully pour cooled brine into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bags and turn to coat. Place in a roasting pan or other large container. Refrigerate for 18-24 hours, turning occasionally., Prepare grill for indirect heat. Drain turkey, discarding brine. Rinse turkey under cold water; pat dry. Rub oil over skin. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together., Place breast side up on a rack in a disposable foil roasting pan. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 30-40 minutes. Tent turkey with foil; grill, covered, until a thermometer reads 165°, 2-1/2 to 3 hours longer. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• bring apple juice, sugar and salt to a boil over high heat, skim foam, let cool to room temperature.
• Add remaining ingredients.
• Brine turkey for 24 hours.
• Quantity is sufficient for a 14 pound turkey.

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups water, apple cider, kosher salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorns together in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil; cook and stir brine until the salt is just dissolved. Remove from heat; add ice cubes.

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a non-reactive container until dissolved. If you are using a salt other than Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, substitute 3/4 cup Morton Kosher Salt, or 1/2 cup pickling salt, or 1/2 cup of non-iodized table salt. Rinse turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Then immerse turkey in the cooled brine. Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid). Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. After brining, rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels. If you have the time, place on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet and allow to air-dry 8-12 hours in the refrigerator. This helps create crispy skin during cooking

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine cider, vinegar, salt, and sugar; stir to dissolve salt and sugar.
• Bring to a low boil over medium heat; Add in peppercorns, sage, garlic, thyme and shallots.
• On low heat simmer for 5 minutes; remove from heat, add ice to brine mixture and set aside to cool.
• Remove the turkey from the wrapping, remove neck and giblets (set aside for giblet gravy), rinse and prepare bird by patting down with paper towels.
• Make a collar of the top of cooking bags (helps keep bags open), and slip bird inside, stand it upright (legs pointing up), and unfold the top of the bag.
• Once the brine is cooled to room temperature or less, pour the cooled brine over the bird, and add an additional cold water until bird is submerged in liquid.
• Squeeze out as much air as possible and secure with a twist-tie.
• Place the turkey, breast side down, in a roasting pan and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning over every 6-8 hours.
• Just prior to roasting, remove the turkey from the brine; discard the bags, brine, and all cured herbs, spices, and oranges remaining in the bird.
• Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper toweling.
• The turkey is now ready to be roasted. See cooking times for Brined turkey as it will be less than typical cooking time.
• Before cooking the bird, I typically use a rub with olive oil or melted butter/margarine. I quarter an apple and stuff inside the cavity for cooking, tenting the bird until the last hour. This will be the BEST roasted turkey you've had, hands down! I even prefer this over deep fried turkey as it is about as moist and has much more flavor to it. I compliment this turkey by serving giblet gravy, sautéed herbed mushrooms and Apple Wine Stuffing.