Best. Turkey. Ever.
Seriously. Brining the bird is the way to go: tremendous flavor, golden brown skin, half the cooking time? And Mrs F's technique has plenty of little "extra somethings." In the brine? kosher salt, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, candied ginger and bayleaves… In the bird? Not stuffing—aromatics: quartered yellow onion, orange, lemon, rosemary, sage, parsley, celery tops, more ginger…
Still thinking about roasting a bird crammed with croutons?
The best part? When you reach into the fridge for a chunk of leftover turkey, no need to do the little "salt and pepper" dance. Totally seasoned and moist. Yum
8 comments:
did you like that Palin turkey slaughter? we are so proud...
You betcha!
Look, I didn't have a problem with the "gruesomeness" of what was going on. I eat turkey, and I understand where it comes from. From what I could tell that looked to be a small farm treating the birds humanely, processing them individually and by hand...
But it's a pretty funny backdrop for her to be blathering on in front of.
And, of course, she's lying about it now.
Ohhh... those photos are to-die-for and make me wish we were having turkey this year.
I brined my bird last year at the recommendation of a friend going to culinary arts school. It was great.
I don't recall a shorter cooking time, but I do remember being confused if it was done or not. The brine made the meat look a little pink just below the surface. Once I cut in, I realized it was properly cooked. I think I also used a thermometer.
The hardest part of the process is finding a big enough container to brine the bird and fully cover it with liquid. I ended up using one of the zip-lock storage bags that come in multi-gallon sizes.
I love that you're giving props to your wife here... You're a good man, Mr. F.! And, as always, Mrs. F's meal looks delicious...
Bob, the shorter cooking time is not due to the brine, it's mainly because the bird isn't filled with dense stuffing, but a comparatively empty cavity filled with loose aromatic items.
Plus, if you watch the video, the bird goes in at a super-high heat (500˚) to start—which browns the skin FIRST and sears the juices in. Then, it's covered with foil and it roasts at a normal temp until the meat is 161˚. Also, brining means it never needs basting basting—no opening and closing the oven, total time is reduced a lot.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Mrs. Furious, and the Furii kids!
I hate turkey; but, this looks like its worth a try. Well done!
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