Ok, being that my second favorite holiday has just passed, I felt it appropriate to finally post another recipe. And this is the mother of all my recipes... Adam's Awesome, Amazing, Fantastic, Spectacular Turkey.
Let's get to it.
The first step is getting a turkey. I am a fan of Butterball... and yes, I am aware they are a little controversial in their turkey treatment; but boy do they produce one tasty bird. The following recipe is what I used for a 22.3 lb turkey, so this recipe will accommodate anywhere from an 18 - 25lb turkey, give or take a pound.
The second step is defrosting the bird. I leave mine for about 5-6 days prior to applying the brine, which is done 24 hours before it goes into the oven, so start your defrosting around 6-7 days before you want to serve. For more accurate defrosting time, consult the instructions that come with your bird. That marks the end of the easy stuff.
Now, onto the brine. AKA, my favorite part. I don't know why it is my favorite, especially since there will be bacon later, but it is inexplicably my most enjoyed turkey activity apart from when I get to devour it. Here's what you need:
1/2 Gallon of Apple Cider
1 Gallon of water
1 Cup salt
1 Cup brown sugar (how come you taste so good! Rolling Stones anyone? No? Ok, moving on)
1 Tablespoon rosemary
1 Tablespoon thyme
2 Tablespoons rubbed sage
Peel of 1 orange (I used dried blood orange peel, but you can use any citrus fruit really)
3 Tablespoons peppercorns
4-5 Bay leaves
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1 lb Ice
First, wash your turkey. This is simple, as you toss it into a clean sink, rub some salt all over it and rinse it in cool water for several minutes. Then, toss all your ingredients, sans the ice, into a large pot and bring to a boil. Let it simmer until all the salt and brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let fully cool. This will take about 2 million hours, so do this quite early.
Once it is fully cooled, toss your turkey and the ice into the brine and let it sit for 12-24 hours (I wouldn't go past 24 hours, but it's not detrimental if you do.) If you don't have a stock pot big enough (I couldn't find one and suspect that you'd have to consult the army to find one) you can just use plastic marinating bags. If you go the bag route, you may have to rotate your bird every few hours to make sure the brine gets to all parts of the turkey.
Now make an herb butter. This is simple:
2 Sticks of salted butter
2 Tablespoons rubbed sage
1 Tablespoon thyme
Let the butter reach room temperature, and put it in a bowl. Sprinkle the herbs over it, and with the back of a fork, incorporate it all together. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until you are ready to cook the bird. I do this while the brine is cooling so it can meld flavors for about 24 hours.
Dissolve to the next day. Or star wipe, if you so choose.
Take your bird out of the brine about an hour before you are going to pop it into the oven. Give it a good rinse and let it sit while you do some other prep work.
Let us discuss some aromatics, shall we?
3 Celery sticks
3 Large carrots
3 Apples
1 Large yellow onion
1 Large red onion
1/4 Cup water
1lb Bacon
Give the fruit and vegetables a rough chop, dividing your yield into 3 parts. Place 2 parts and the 1/4 cup water in the bottom of the roasting pan, and the remaining 1 part in the turkey cavity. Next, place your turkey in your roasting pan (either in the rack if you are using a fancy pants roasting pan like me, or directly on top of your aromatics if you are using tin foil or other...)
Now, smother the turkey in the herb butter. You may wanna let the butter come to room temperature so it is easier to smear. I like to rub the entire turkey with the butter, and put clumps of it both on top of and underneath the skin. I also put some in the cavity. As you are rubbing the button on the turkey, feel free to massage it a little. Just remember, there is a fine line between breaking down muscle and tissue fibers and giving a sensual massage.
Finally, grab a pound of bacon, and drape it all across your turkey. I put my turkey in, breast up, with bacon covering the breast and the legs. You can do this however you like, but I find this to yield the best results. Also, cover the tops of the wings and the bottom of the legs with tin foil. This will save a burning headache (get it? cause those parts will burn if not covered? Oh, forget it.)
Lastly, tent some foil, shiny side down, over your turkey. Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees, and toss that sucker in... in all it's delicious glory.
I baste every 15 - 30 minutes. This will leave you with moist turkey meat and general succulence. I also suggest that you remove the bacon and tin foil when you hit the 3 hour mark otherwise it can stick to the skin and ruin the final look of the turkey. Just keep an eye on it to make sure the skin doesn't get too much color and the wings/legs don't burn.
For an 18-22lb turkey, it should cook for about 4+ hours. Consult the inter-tubes and/or turkey directions to get exact cooking times and temperatures.
Once it has reached the proper temp (Around 165,) take it out and let it rest for at least 30 minutes (I leave mine for 45+minutes to let the juices redistribute.) THIS IS IMPORTANT, SO DON'T GET IMPATIENT!!!
Then carve and enjoy.
To make this complicated mess a little simpler, below you will find a list of all the ingredients you will need:
1 Turkey, fresh/frozen, 18-22lb
1/2 Gallon of Apple Cider
1 Gallon of water
1 Cup salt
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon rosemary
1 Tablespoon thyme
2 Tablespoons rubbed sage
Peel of 1 orange
3 Tablespoons peppercorns
4-5 Bay leaves
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
2 Sticks of salted butter
2 Tablespoons rubbed sage
1 Tablespoon thyme
3 Celery sticks
3 Large carrots
3 Apples
1 Large yellow onion
1 Large red onion
1/4 Cup water
1lb Bacon
BONUS RECIPE!!!!
Gravy is a prerequisite for any holiday meal. Below are 2 ways of making a gravy with your turkey.
Gravy numero uno... the easy one. If you have an immersion blender, or just a regular blender take all the juices and aromatics as the turkey is cooling, and blend it up to the desired consistency. I choose to leave all the fat in, cause it makes it more delicious, but if you must, you can easily skim off some fat prior to blending.
The veggies become nice and roasted, releasing their natural sugars, so this gravy tends to be very sweet. I like this cause it is easy, but tasty. Just make sure if you use an immersion blender, wear an apron... I ruined a shirt this year.
Gravy 2: the return. This one is more traditional. You will need:
2 Tablespoons salted butter
2 Tablespoons ap flour
Pan Drippings
Stock (chicken of vegetable) - May not be needed, see below
Melt your butter and add your flour into a small pot or sauce pan. Once it makes a paste, cook it on very low for 5-10 minutes until it is slightly bubbly. Add the drippings from the roasting pan and cook until it thickens to the desired temperature. If you don't have enough drippings, or if it becomes too thick/tight, you can thin it with some stock. Feel free to hit it with some salt and pepper to taste, and even a sprinkling of parsley or thyme for extra freshness.
BONUS BONUS RECIPE!!!
After dinner, once the turkey is fully carved, you can use the carcass to make a turkey stock. You will need:
2 Gallons of water
1 Turkey carcass
2 Carrots, roughly chopped
2 Celery sticks, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons thyme
2 Tablespoons rubbed sage
1 Tablespoon parsley
Combine in a stock pot and simmer for 2-3 hours. The longer you simmer, the more concentrated the flavor will become, but it will also reduce. Feel your way through by tasting your stock, and once it is where you like it, strain it into a container. This stock makes great soups, and if reduced to a paste, can become a sauce starter.
Minor note here... Once it is cooled down, it may become gelatinous. This is actually what you wanna see. The collagen from the bones is broken down and will make your stock have a jelly like consistency when stored in the fridge. The fat will also separate to the top, which can be skimmed off if desired.
BONUS BONUS BONUS RECIPE!!!
Ok, not really a recipe, but I wanted to continue the theme. When your bacon comes off the turkey, microwave it for 20 seconds, and you have a pre-turkey snack.
~Adam
