Brined Turkey (Roasting Brined Turkey)

Herman's grandmother hung a brined turkey to dry in her barn. His mother had no barn, so she hung it in the bath tub. Since most of us don't love to bathe with good old Tom, Herman suggested we drain him in the sink for an hour.

• 1 quart water
• 1 onion quartered
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 2 gallons cold water
• 12-15 lb. turkey, giblets removed

METHOD

In medium saucepan, bring one quart water to a boil. Add onion, carrot, celery and peppercorns. Cover, lower heat and simmer for fifteen minutes.

Remove from heat, add salt and stir to dissolve. Let cool. Pour into large stockpot with the 2 gallons cold water. Put in turkey, holding down until submerged. If necessary, weight the top with a heavy plate.

Place pot in refrigerator and let sit overnight.

Remove turkey from brine, rinse well, and drain for one hour in sink. Pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Truss.

Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake in preheated 425° F degree oven for 20 minutes. Reduce to 350° F, and roast for 12 minutes per pound. Baste with butter and pan juices. If skin becomes too dark, cover loosely with foil. When a deep part of the thigh reaches an internal temperature of 145° degrees, the turkey is done.

After removing from oven, let turkey rest 20 minutes before carving.

Tip: Safety matters. To insure that the stuffing is fully cooked and free of bacteria,cook in a separate pan. Gauging doneness by the deep part of the thigh meat is another safety precaution, as dark meat takes longer to cook than light meat.

Serves 6 - 8

recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com

Contributor: Herman Merz for Julia Merz

Recommendation:  No turkey is as good as a brined turkey.  Try it for either holiday - Thanksgiving or Christmas.

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