1 of 11 photos

Photo by:

Add this recipe to your:

Send this recipe:

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 (2089g) Recipe makes 10 servings The following items or measurements are not included below: 4 sprigs rosemary 6 leaves sage
Calories 1171
Calories from Fat 524		(44%)
Amount Per Serving		%DV
	Total Fat 58.3g	89%
	Saturated Fat 16.4g	82%
	Monounsaturated Fat 21.1g
	Polyunsaturated Fat 14.4g
	Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 493mg		164%
Sodium 472mg		19%
Potassium 1954mg		55%
Total Carbohydrate 2.5g		0%
	Dietary Fiber 0.4g	1%
	Sugars 1.7g
Protein 148.4g		296%
detailed view... how is this calculated?

Menus using this recipe:

Gay's Thanksgiving Menu 2006

Thanksgiving Thoughts 2009

Tish

Thanksgiving 2008

Kim D.

Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner

Erin Harris

Good Eats Roast Turkey

Recipe #9954 | ½ day | 6 hours prep | add private note

⁽¹¹²⁾ RATE IT NOW Print Recipe

By: Gay Gilmore
Jul 4, 2001

from Alton Brown's show. Brining the bird is the key to moist meat. Made this again this year, only brined in just water instead of stock to save some dough. Again, the bird turned out perfect. Growing up, I hated white meat because it was always dry and grinding on your teeth , now I love white meat. Cook time includes the brining time.

SERVES 10 -12 (change servings and units)

Ingredients

1 (16 lb) frozen young turkey

For the brine

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berry
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon ice water

For the aromatics

1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
canola oil

Directions

1
Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stock pot and bring to a boil.
2
Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
3
Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5 gallon bucket.
4
Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours.
5
Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.
6
A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees.
7
Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
8
Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water.
9
Discard brine.
10
Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels.
11
Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage.
12
Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.
13
Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500F for 30 minutes.
14
Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350°F.
15
Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161°F.
16
A 14-16 pound bird should require a total of 2-2 1/2 hours of roasting.
17
Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Questions about this recipe?

Featured Reviews for This Recipe

From: Amy in Washington

On Oct 30, 2009

Brining is absolutely the best way to ensure a moist turkey. I use this recipe as a guide and adjust the seasonings - although I have used this recipe. Alton Brown is a very good resource for learning cooking techniques. His "City Ham" recipe is another favorite of mine that I make around Christmas time.

0 people found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO

From: Neohippie

On Oct 28, 2009

I used this method the first year I was in charge of the Thanksgiving turkey. My mom and step dad were, er, skeptical, let's say, thinking I would give them all food poisoning by leaving the turkey sitting around in the brine for all those hours (not convinced that the salt would help preserve it), then they were worried I hadn't started cooking the turkey early enough since turkey supposedly should be started at like 9 am or something so it can cook ALL DAY, and then I was slightly sabotauged when "someone" turned my 500 degree oven down while the turkey was browning thinking I must have turned the oven up that high by accident and that I would burn the turkey (come to think of it, wasn't the "plot" of this episode about Alton's fictional relatives meddling in his turkey cooking?). Anyway, after all that, the turkey was the best my folks had ever had, and from then on, err, I had to always make the turkey for thanksgiving. Grr. Oh well, but they quit bugging me about doing it wrong.

0 people found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO

From: MEAN CHEF

On Aug 12, 2002

Although I use a different brine, there is no question that I will not ever roast a turkey without brining. Those who haven't tried it owe it to yourself to give it a shot. You will not be able to go back.

21 people found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO

From: Sharlene~W

On Apr 2, 2002

Cooked up my last turkey this way--used everything exactly per recipe except didn't have allspice berries. The meat was tender and moist and not the slightest bit salty. A(lton showed the science behind why the salt isn't absorbed into the meat, but I don't remember the specifics.) I'm a brining convert!

19 people found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO

Read all 113 reviews