My Favorite Turkey Recipes

Steps:

• Combine 2 gallons cold water with the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, rosemary and orange peels in a large pot. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover.
• Allow to cool completely, then place into the fridge to chill. Place uncooked turkey in the chilled brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.
• When ready to roast the turkey, remove from the brine. Submerge the turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.
• Discard the brine. Remove the turkey from the clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.

Steps:

• Combine the water, cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, orange peel and rosemary in a large pot. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Allow to cool completely before placing in the fridge to chill.
• Place the turkey in the chilled brine solution and refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. (You may add more cold water if you need more liquid for the size of turkey you have.)
• When you're ready to roast, remove the turkey from the brine and submerge it in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in the clean water for 15 to 20 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside. Discard the brine.
• Remove the turkey from the water and rinse again, then pat dry. Cook according to your normal roasting method.

Steps:

• Remove the turkey from its packaging and remove the bags with the neck and giblets from the cavity. Rinse the neck and giblets and put them in a plastic bag in the fridge; you'll need them for the gravy. Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water. Place the turkey into a large brining bag or pot. Pour in My Favorite Turkey Brine and place in the fridge for 16 to 18 hours so the brine can work its magic.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse thoroughly, inside and out. Soak the turkey in cold water for 15 minutes, then rinse again and pat dry.
• Truss the bird or tuck the legs and wings however you like. Place the bird, breast-side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Cover the whole pan, tenting the bird, with heavy-duty foil so that it's well sealed. Place in the oven and roast the turkey for about 10 minutes per pound. (So, for a 20-pound turkey, about 3 1/2 hours; for a 15-pound turkey, about 2 1/2 hours.) Note: There will still be more cooking time after this, but it'll be at a different temperature.
• When it's time to remove the turkey from the oven, mix together the butter, rosemary and orange zest. Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the temperature to 375 degrees F. Remove the foil and set aside. (Put stuffing in the bird if you wish at this point.) Rub the butter mixture all over the skin of the turkey, getting in the crevices. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thigh, near the hip joint. Place the turkey, uncovered, back into the oven and continue roasting, basting/brushing with the juices in the pan every 30 minutes, until the thermometer registers 165 degrees F and until the juices no longer run pink. This will take another 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the bird.
• Remove from the oven and cover lightly with foil until you are ready to carve.
• Combine the water, cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, orange strips and rosemary in a large pot. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Allow to cool completely before placing in the fridge to chill.

Steps:

• Remove any giblets from the cavity and reserve for stock or gravy. Pat turkey and turkey neck dry with paper towel; rub turkey all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt per pound of turkey, the pepper and the lemon zest, including the neck. Transfer to a 2-gallon (or larger) resealable plastic bag. Tuck herbs and 6 garlic cloves inside bag. Seal and refrigerate on a small rimmed baking sheet (or wrapped in another bag) for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, turning the bird over every day (or after 12 hours if brining for only 1 day).
• Remove turkey from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, uncovered, back on the baking sheet. Return to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours to dry out the skin (this helps crisp it).
• When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for one hour.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. In the bottom of a large roasting pan, add the cider and enough wine to fill the pan to a 1/4-inch depth. Add half the onions, the remaining 6 garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Stuff the remaining onion quarters and the lemon quarters into the turkey cavity. Brush the turkey skin generously with oil or melted butter.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack set inside the roasting pan. Transfer pan to the oven and roast 30 minutes. Cover breast with aluminum foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reaches a temperature of 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer turkey to a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Gently loosen turkey breast skin, and insert pieces of butter between the skin and breast. Place apples inside the turkey's cavity. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place turkey in a roasting bag, and pour Champagne over the inside and outside of the bird. Close bag, and place turkey in a roasting pan.
• Bake turkey 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) when measured in the meatiest part of the thigh. Remove turkey from bag, and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Combine 1-2 gallons water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, sage and bay leaves in large pot over medium heat.
• Stir to dissolve salt and sugar and bring to a boil. Take the brine off the stove and cool down to room temperature.
• Mix brine and ice water in a large stockpot or brining bag.
• Place rinsed and thawed turkey breast side down in brine and cover or tie up brining bag.
• Place inside of cooler and fill cooler with ice (can also be refrigerated) for 8-24 hours, turning the turkey once half way through.
• Be sure to drain and rinse well once removed from the brining liquid.
• Roast or smoke as you normally would.