Food TV

Ok, here’s a little backstory about me. My mom was a cook, when she was still able to work, and a darn good one at that. Dad, a mechanic, and also a darn good one. Anyhow, most nights at home mom would cook. Except the holidays. You see my dad really enjoys cooking, but most nights didn’t have the energy, and so on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, Dad got to cook. And the food is always good, really good to me as it is what I grew up knowing. The turkey is beautiful, but perhaps not the glory of flavor and moistness that my family always raves about. In truth, I’ve had better. The potatoes, well they’re mashed potatoes, but made from real potatoes, which is really uncommon in our house. Well, my point is, everythign is good, but not great, and after 28 years, getting a little boring. So this year I talked my dad into letting me do Thanksgiving dinner. *Squeeeeee*

OK, so as you all know, I have a mild obsession with *ahem* fondness for Alton Brown and his show Good Eats. Watching this show last year I was fascinated with the concept of brining a turkey. I had never heard of anyone brining a meat before, although AB does it with quite a few of them. Everything he made on the show looked so stinking yummy that I just knew I had to make it. So, this year all of the food I make on Thanksgiving will be from Good Eats … probably, (some of those other shows have really good looking stuff too, I’m still working on my menu…)

So today I will give you AB’s brining solution and directions for a perfect roasted Turkey. Keep an eye out for the other recipes I will be featuring in my house on Thanksgiving. OOH, and let me know if you’re doing anything you’ve never done before for Thanksgiving. Or tell me about the first one you cooked all by yourself!!!

Direct from the Food Network Website

1 (14 to 16 pound) 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 berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced 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

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. 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 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.