Turkey - Brine
This is very close the the Alton Brown Turkey Brine. Start brine two to three days prior to roasting. For a Thanksgiving turkey, Monday night is ideal. The original brine recipe is from Good Eats Roast Turkey. The brine instructions are from the Good Eats Thanksgiving Brining Secrets. Not used is the Fry Turkey Fry approach.| Ingredients |
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| 1 whole frozen turkey (14 to 16-pound, thawed) |
| 1 gallon vegetable broth |
| 1 cup kosher salt |
| 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed, light or dark) |
| 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns |
| 1 1/2 tsp allspice berries |
| 2 medium oranges (optional, thinly sliced) |
| 2 medium lemons (optional, thinly sliced) |
| 5 sprigs rosemary (optional) |
| 3 bay leaves (optional) |
| 1 1/2 tbsp candied ginger (chopped) |
| 1 gallon water (iced) |
Directions
Two to three days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
Combine the broth, salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice and ginger in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Optionally, same time, include oranges, lemons, rosemary, and bay leaves. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate the brine.
The afternoon before roasting, place a turkey oven bag into a 5-gallon bucket. Combine the brine, water and ice into the lined 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey, with innards removed, breast-side down in the brine. Tie off the top and store in a cool location.
