Brining a Turkey for Christmas Day

[saucisson]

Any recipes out there? especially from over the pond

My wife says if I am even to contemplate it I must do a trial run as she's not having Christmas Day ruined by it not working. Does she have no faith?

Dave

[pokerpete]

Now I'm not sure about this but I seem to remember reading about not brining if a bird had been bulked up by pumping. If this is the case, it would only be appropiate to brine a 'clean' bird.

[saucisson]

Thanks for that pokerpete, is there a way of telling? I wouldn't want to practice on an expensive bird and was thinking of dropping a frozen bird into a bin of brine, or are all frozen birds eg Bernard Ms likely to be pumped?

Dave

[pokerpete]

I think it might indicate this on the label of a commercially processed bird.

[dougal]

It might... or might not.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/3046819.stm
from 2003 - has there been any improvement?

PS incipient hijack apology, in advance.
To make up, I'll dig out my Zuni Caf� Cookbook. Ms Rogers is v keen on brining, and pre-salting, and....

[saucisson]

if they can run concurrently, I'll be happy

Dave

[dougal]

Judy Rogers' suggestion for turkey brining, as interpreted by myself

Proportions: 7 1/4 cups water with 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons salt (EDIT: more salt if kosher, flakes, large grain - I dislike the US infatuation with volume measures for just that sort of reason).

Optionally, tear up some Bay leaves, crush some Juniper berries, add some dried chiili, and bring to the simmer in a little (1 cup) of the water, and leave to infuse for at least 10 minutes.
You need enough brine to cover the turkey, so potentially lots.
A 15lb bird is said to want 5 or 6 days curing in the fridge.
Then, rinse, dry and leave in the fridge for another day to allow things to equilibrate (at least a bit).
Rinse again and stand upright to drain.
Dry carefully inside and out before putting it into the oven. {No need more seasoning - D}
She doesn't indicate a time. Instead suggesting a 350F (175C) oven, turning the bird over to brown front and back. She proposes roasting until the middle of the thickest part of the breast reaches 150C (65C), then letting it rest for 20 minutes before carving.
It is remarked that the exudate from the bird doesn't make good gravy.
And clearly the bird isn't intended to be stuffed, but it should be "startlingly succulent"...

Despite the precision of the 1/4 cup, the unspecified relation between brine quantity and meat weight suggests to me that this is a general guideline.

[DarrinG]

This brined bird will knock your socks off. You will never have such a tender and juicy bird ever.

Clicky

Its fantastic.

DarrinG

[saucisson]

Thank you both!

Dave

[vinner]

We do simple brining. Based on what my sis-in-law wants in her stuffing we then decide on the brine flavors. Last year was a hit with:

3/4 cups kosher salt
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
20 black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, smahed
5 leaves of fresh sage
1 large sprig thyme

Combine and boil with 3 cups water. Let cool. Add with turkey and several gallons cold water, keep refrigerated for 12 hours.

Rinse and dry bird, let it sit in fridge for at least an hour and up to 12 more. Cook as you normally would.

NOTE we use an ice chest, and for several weeks before, we freeze plastic soda bottles full of water. They are enough to keep the brine below 40 F, and more can be added if necessary.

[saucisson]

Thanks Vinner,

Dave

[saucisson]

Ok, I have as usual taken my own slant on this.
And combined elements of all suggestions.

It's not cold enough to do this outside yet and I'm filling up all available fridge and freezer space with homemade produce for Christmas already. So long brinings in the fridge were out of the question

I bought a 7kg frozen turkey that is being sold half price at the moment, to ensure I got the worst possible starting material

I took a gallon of water, 225g salt, 225g dark muskova sugar. I added a whole halved onion, several carrots, a pile of potato skin peelings from sunday lunch, a good teaspoon of allspice and two prongs from a star anise, a good grate of black pepper and a big handful of home dried mushrooms. I simmered these for a goodly while then let them cool.

I put the liquor from the stock in a 5 gallon bucket in the kitchen and pitched in the still frozen turkey 24hrs before I wanted to cook it. 18 hours later I pulled the still almost frosty giblets out and got them on for gravy. Come cooking time the bird was nicely defrosted. I poured off the stock and filled the bucket to the brim with cold water, left that 5 minutes, then drained the bird. I put the wet bird on a tray in a roasting dish in a fan oven and set it to 240 deg C, when it got to temperature I gave it 10 more minutes, then turned it down to 180 deg C, covered the breast with a double layer of tin foil and the whole bird loosely with a single sheet. I cooked for about 2 hrs until the thickest part of the breast was 170 F and let it rest for half an hour.

Possibly the nicest turkey I've ever eaten...

12 year old son: I don't normally like breast meat but this is delicious.

Wife: I didn't want you to do this because I thought brining would make it salty, but this just tastes like really good turkey with a really good gravy, without the need for gravy.


Wow, I can't wait to try this with a decent turkey.

[dougal]

I think you've achieved "proof of concept". At least...

[saucisson]

I have permission to do it on Christmas Day

[saucisson]

It is remarked that the exudate from the bird doesn't make good gravy.

Good call Dougal, the nice looking juice from the bottom of the pan tastes completely carbonised, burnt sugar maybe?

Dave