Good Eats Roast Turkey
This recipe outlines a simple yet effective method for roasting a flavorful and moist turkey using a brine solution. It involves thawing, brining, drying, stuffing the cavity with aromatics, and roasting at dual temperatures until the internal temperature reaches 161°F, followed by resting.
Equipment
- 1 Large Stockpot For preparing the brine.
- 1 5-gallon Bucket or Large Container Large enough to fully submerge the turkey in brine.
- 1 Roasting Rack and Half Sheet Pan For roasting the turkey evenly.
- 1 Probe Thermometer Essential for monitoring internal temperature for safety and doneness.
- 1 Microwave-Safe Dish For steeping aromatics for the cavity.
Ingredients
Main
- 1 14 to 16 pound frozen young turkey
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 gallon vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
- 1 gallon heavily iced water
- 1 red apple sliced
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup water
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 6 leaves sage
- Canola oil
Instructions
- Two to three days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
- Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
- The night before or early on the day you'd like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
- Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
- Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
- Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.
Notes
Brining is key to a moist turkey; ensure the bird is fully submerged and the brine is kept cold. Thoroughly rinsing the turkey after brining removes excess salt from the surface. Patting the skin completely dry is crucial for achieving crispy skin. Roasting at a high initial temperature then reducing helps crisp the skin before cooking the meat through. Always rely on a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone, to determine doneness; target 165°F (74°C) but removing at 161°F (72°C) allows carryover cooking to finish it perfectly. Resting the turkey for at least 15-20 minutes allows juices to redistribute, ensuring a more succulent result.