Roasting a Simple, Delicious Thanksgiving Turkey

This is an altered version of an Alton Brown recipe. Feel free to substitute any brine recipe you'd prefer.  

Yield: 8-10 servings, with leftovers for later.

Brine
1-1/2 cups Kosher salt

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 gallon water, divided use

10 cloves garlic, smashed

1 Tbs. peppercorns

5-6 sprigs fresh rosemary, rolled with a rolling pin to release essence/oils

12-14 lb. turkey
Canola oil, for rubbing over turkey

Turkey Aromatics

1 yellow onion, halved

1 lemon, halved

1 orange, halved

1 head garlic, halved

2 bundles fresh thyme, divided use

2 bundles fresh sage, divided use

Vegetable or canola oil, for basting

Brining the Turkey:

• Dissolve the salt and sugar in 1 quart of boiling water; add the smashed garlic, peppercorns, and fresh rosemary.  Cool the brine solution with 3 quarts of cold water. 
• Remove the giblets (and any other foreign matter) from the turkey interior and rinse well; place turkey in a nice, clean cooler. Pour in the cooled brine mixture to cover. If the turkey is not completely submerged in the brine, add more liquid (chicken broth is great, but can add water if needed) to cover the turkey.    
• Cover with ice, close the lid, and brine the turkey for 10-12 hours. (Exact soak times will vary. Start with 10 hours and make changes per your taste to subsequent bird.)

Roasting the Turkey:

•         Move the oven rack to the lowest level and preheat the oven to 500˚F. Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse to remove any of the fresh herbs that may have stuck to the skin; pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine and thoroughly wash the cooler.
•       Rub the turkey liberally with canola oil, taking care to get all the nooks and crannies around the wings and legs – everywhere!
•       If pop-up thermometer is still inserted in turkey, promptly pull out and discard. 
•      Remove wire that hold holds turkey legs together so that the cavity of the turkey is open and exposed.  Push onion, lemon, orange and garlic halves into turkey cavity.  Lastly, insert 1 bundle each of thyme and sage, letting them protrude from turkey cavity, as necessary.
•     Set the prepared turkey on a greased roasting rack in a roasting pan and place into the preheated oven. Roast at 500˚F for 1/2 hour or until nicely browned.
•     Remove the turkey from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Cover the turkey with a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil.  Roast turkey for an additional 2 – 2½ hours or until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees in the thigh. 
•    Remove the turkey from the oven, keeping the bird covered with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 30 minutes before carving to allow turkey to re-absorb it's juices. Once turkey has had it's rest, it's time to carve and eat.  

·     Now You’re Cookin’,

Chef Alli 

Yes, You Need to BRINE Your Turkey!

Brining is a wonderfully easy technique that adds moisture and flavor, not to mention MOISTURE to Tom Turkey.  And, no, it won't make your bird too salty! Below is the brine recipe that I'm trying this season, along with the easy how-to steps. Once you try it, you'll be brining your turkey every holiday and you'll never look back. 

6 cups apple cider
1 oz. fresh thyme
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Tbs. allspice berries
1 Tbs. peppercorns
1 cup granulated sugar
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 oranges, each cut in half
1 1/2 cups kosher salt

To prepare brine:  Place all ingredients into a large saucepan or stock pot and bring to a boil; whisk until sugar and salt is completely dissolved, then remove from heat and cool in the fridge.

Place thawed, rinsed turkey (I usually get a 15-18 lb. bird) into a large, upright container that will fit into your spare refrigerator or down into a cooler (cooler lid must close) and pour in brine, completely submerging turkey.  (If you don't have an upright cooler that's large enough, you can place bird directly into a sterile cooler, then pour brine into cooler to submerge the turkey.  Sometimes, depending on the size of the cooler, this takes a bit more brine.)  

Let turkey rest in the brine for 12-16 hours, keeping it cool at all times, either in the fridge or with ice added to the cooler.  If your bird is really big, say 22-28 lbs., let it brine even up to 24 hours.

Remove turkey from the brine and rinse well, both inside and out.  Roast turkey using your preferred method.  

**Note:  If you are using the drippings from a brined bird for making gravy, be sure you taste the gravy before adding any seasonings - the drippings tend to be pretty salty.  

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Cranberry Apple Chicken Served Over Quinoa

Original recipe from Amber Groeling, Hy-Vee Topeka Dietitian, adapted slightly. 

1 Tbs. olive oil

1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry, pounded into cutlets

Cranberry Apple Chutney, recipe below

3 cups cooked quinoa, directions below

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large skillet over medium high heat, add oil; when oil is hot, add chicken  and cook just until browned on each side.  Place cutlets into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until juices run clear and chicken is cooked throughout.

Cranberry Apple Chutney

½ yellow onion, diced

1 Tbs. red wine vinegar

4 honey crisp apples

1 cup fresh cranberries

¼ cup granulated sugar (may substitute splenda)

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. lemon zest

1 ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbs. pure maple syrup

Using the same skillet that chicken breasts were cooked in, add onion to drippings in pan and cook over medium heat until softened, adding a bit of broth if needed to keep onions moist. When onions are softened, add vinegar, apples, cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, and salt; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook chutney for 15-20 minutes or until apples are tender and chutney is slightly thickened.  Stir in lemon zest, juice and maple syrup.  (Chutney will thicken more as it cools.)

Quinoa

1 cup water

½ cup orange juice

1 cup uncooked quinoa

Bring water and orange juice to a boil in a 2-3 quart saucepan.  Add quinoa, bring back to a boil, cover and cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all the water.  Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork; cover and let stand for 15 minutes. 

Serve chicken breasts on a bed of cooked quinoa, topped with warm chutney.

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli