Never- Fail Basic Brining Recipe

Total Time: 16 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 14 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1 (12 -14 lb) whole turkey, thawed if previously frozen
• 2 cups kosher salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 gallons cold water
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Recipe

• 1 dissolve salt and sugar in water in a large stockpot or clean bucket.
• 2 remove neck and giblets and use to make gravy stock, if desired.
• 3 thoroughly rinse turkey under cool running water. immerse the bird in the prepared brining solution and refrigerate or set in very cool (40 f or less) spot for 4 to 6 hours. (4 hours for small bird, 6 hours for larger bird).
• 4 remove turkey from brine and discard solution. rinse both cavities and skin under cool running water for several minutes until all traces of salt are gone.
• 5 pat dry inside and out with paper towels.
• 6 place turkey on meat rack set over rimmed sheet pan. place in refrigerator, uncovered, and air-dry for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• 7 pre-heat oven to 400°f.
• 8 toss 1/3 of the thyme sprigs, chopped onion, carrot and celery in the body cavity of the turkey and scatter the rest in the bottom of your pan, along with 1 cup water. bring turkey legs together and perform a simple truss.
• 9 set v rack in roasting pan, brush breast side with melted butter and place turkey breast side down. brush the underside of the bird with the remaining melted butter.
• 10 roast breast side down for 45 minutes.
• 11 with wad of paper towelling in each hand, turn turkey, leg/thigh side up, baste with pan juices, return to oven and roast for 15 minutes.
• 12 turn turkey other side up and baste again. return to oven and roast another 15 minutes.
• 13 remove from oven a final time, turn breast side up, baste again, and roast turkey until breast registers about 165 f and thigh registers 170 - 175 f (another 30 to 45 minutes).
• 14 remove from roasting pan onto cutting board or serving platter. let rest, covered with tin foil, for at least 15 minutes before carving.
• 15 use pan juices to make gravy.