Brining a turkey |
INGREDIENTS Imperial Metric whole turkey11
DIRECTIONS
Brining
For a change of pace from your standard roast turkey preparation,
brining is a fun, and delicious alternative. Using the brining process,
the turkey is soaked in a salt-water solution for several hours prior to
roasting, locking in moisture and resulting in a juicer meal.
Brining should begin at least 6 hours prior to cooking but 12 âEURO" 30
hours is ideal. Parts require less time, whole birds more. Follow the
five-step brining schedule and you're on your way to moist, tender
turkey!
Step 1: Choose your turkey
Wings, thighs, and breast meat will cook quickly, but a 10 lb bird can
take up to 1.5 âEURO" 2 hours on the barbeque. Do not use a
self-basting or kosher turkey for brining.
Step 2: Choose your container
Your turkey will need to be completely submerged in the brine solution.
For parts, use either a covered container or a large zip-lock freezer
bag. To brine a whole turkey, use a large non-corrosive covered pot or
'brining bags'. Make sure you have enough fridge space to accommodate
your container.
Step 3: Brine solution âEURO" Liquid
You'll need about 1L of ice cold water to cover a few parts and about
3-4 L to cover a 10-12 lb whole turkey. If you want to create your own
'signature brine', consider replacing some of the water with beer or
soda pop.
Step 4: Brine solution âEURO" Salt
Typically, a brine solution has enough salt in the liquid to float a raw
egg. Don't be afraid to cut back if you prefer less salt. Kosher salt or
sea salt are recommended. Also, many grocers or kitchen sores sell
unique, seasoned salt mixtures which can work well. Dissolve salts in a
small quantity of hot water then let cool before adding the brining
liquid. Use a ratio of 1 cup kosher salt to 1 gallon liquid.
Step 5: Brine Solution âEURO" Aromatics and Seasonings
Here's where the flavor gets added! Sweet, savory, or spicy hot, you can
mix to your taste. Try honey, maple syrup, molasses or brown sugar to
sweeten up the brine. Fresh herbs such as rosemary sage, thyme, basil or
mint add subtle flavors, while garlic, shallots, ginger root, cinnamon
sticks, cloves and lemon or lime zest 'define the brine'. Smokey
chiptole peppers, ancho, jalapeno or spicy hot cayenne peppers will give
the brine some heat!
Once the solution has been prepared and the turkey submerged,
refrigerate for the designated length of time. When finished soaking,
remove the turkey from the brine, and discard the brine. Thoroughly
rinse under a slow stream of cool water and rub gently to release the
salt. Pat the skin dry. Cook the turkey as you normally would, in the
oven on a rotisserie, or on the barbeque. Be sure to reach and end point
temperature of 170â--|F.
Here are some brine recipes based on one average turkey breast. Increase
the quantities as necessary to accommodate larger pieces, multiple
parts, or a whole bird.
Standard Brine
1L ice cold water
Â1/4 cup kosher salt
! Tbsp whole dried cloves
Â1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
Grated zest from one lemon
Â1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp oil
1-2 inches fresh grated ginger root
White Cranberry
4 cups Ocean Spray White Cranberry Juice
Â1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp whole peppercorns
Fiesta Brine
2 cans of Pilsner beer (355 ml)
Â1/4 cup coarse garlic sea salt
2 whole dried ancho peppers (seeds & stem removed)
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 tsp dried cloves
1 tbsp oil
Zest from Â1/2 a lime
Â1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared
to what lies within us " *Angelique*
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