Brined Turkey

Total Time: 14 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 14 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1 (12 lb) turkey
• 1 lb kosher salt (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 3 medium onions, cut into large wedges
• 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 3 stalks celery, cut into chunks
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 6 parsley sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 lb butter, melted

Recipe

• 1 remove the giblets, neck and tail piece from the turkey and reserve them for gravy, if desired.
• 2 rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water.
• 3 in a large pot or 5-gallon bucket, stir the salt and 1 gallon of cold water together.
• 4 carefully set the turkey into the water and cover the bird by 2 to 3 inches with cold water.
• 5 refrigerate or set the turkey in a very cold (32 to 40 degrees f) place for 8 to 12 hours.
• 6 remove the turkey from the brine, rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.
• 7 let it sit out at room temperature for an hour, or an hour and a half at most.
• 8 position a rack in the bottom of your oven and preheat to 450 degrees f.
• 9 in a large bowl, toss together the onion, carrots, celery, thyme, parsley, bay leaf and half the butter.
• 10 pack the body and neck cavities loosely with this mixture.
• 11 truss the legs together with kitchen twine and secure the neck flap to the back with a couple of trussing pins or sturdy toothpicks.
• 12 rub the turkey with half of the remaining butter and set the bird on its side on a rack in a roasting pan.
• 13 roast it for 15 minutes, then turn it onto its other side and roast for 15 minutes more.
• 14 reduce the heat to 325 degrees f.
• 15 soak a large piece of cheesecloth (enough to cover the turkey breast) in the remaining butter, turn the turkey breast-side up and place the cheesecloth over the breast.
• 16 add 1/2 cup of water to the pan.
• 17 continue roasting, basting with pan juices every 15 to 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the breast registers 160 degrees f.
• 18 check a meaty section of the thigh, as well; it should also register 160 degrees f.
• 19 if the breast is cooking too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil.
• 20 total roasting time should be about 2 1/2 hours.
• 21 let the turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.