Brine Bath Turkey
Often the cooking of the family festive turkey can daunt even an accomplished cook, but fear no more, this recipe really is so easy. In fact I can assure you it will probably be the easiest and most successful festive roast you have ever done.
In the past I have been known to bound and wrap the turkey in layers of muslin and butter, or cover in closely fitting tin foil which if not careful, steams rather than roasts. All great ways to roast a turkey, but as my mission in life these days is all about ‘ease’ and ‘simplicity without stress providing success’ then trust me, this is THE RECIPE for you.
Its brilliant, and absolutely stress free, feeds a generous six with much left over for cold turkey treats the next day and a wonderful simple soup. Trust me a real winner for the next festive celebration.
Ingredients
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5.2kg turkey- raw with giblets removed for gravy
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Brine Bath
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250g fine salt
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5 fresh mandarins- halved, hand juiced
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4 whole lemons- halved, hand juiced
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2 large whole red onions- skin on, halved
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Handful of bay leaves
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Large handful whole black peppercorns
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Litre cider vinegar- or gin
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Enough cold water to cover turkey
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For Roasting
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500g unsalted butter- softened
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Sprinkle of sea salt flakes
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Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
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Stuffing
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Fresh apples, oranges, lemons and onions- skin on, halved
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1 large can of opened beer- optional
Instructions
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Prepare turkey for its brine soak:
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01 Remove any excess string (or trussing) and the inside giblets. Refrigerate giblets until day of roasting, to simmer with water to make a rich stock.
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Prepare brine soak: see picture
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02 Fill a large container with plenty of cold water, and add all ingredients. Stir well. If needs more salt add. Gently place the raw turkey into its 'salty bath' and leave 24 hours to soak.
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Prepare for roasting: see picture
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03 Remove turkey from its brine soak and dry well with kitchen paper. Place turkey on a wrack within a large roasting tin. Discard salty brine water and all ingredients.
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04 Fill chest cavity of turkey with pieces of apple, mandarin, lemon, onion etc and if using a large can of beer place this 'open end up' inside also with the vegetables and fruits. Finally heavily smear the soft butter all over the turkey in a thick layer, and season well with black pepper and a lightly sprinkling of sea salt flakes.
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To cook:
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05 Place the turkey on the lowest shelf in a pre-heated oven and roast for 3 hours until well coloured. If the turkey after 2 hours appears to be browning too quickly, cover top with tin foil.
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06 Once the turkey is roasted, remove from the oven and allow to sit 30 minutes or more, well covered with tin foil and several tea towels. Do not remove the can if you have used one as this continues to keep the turkey moist. Best to remove prior to serving.
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07 When you are ready serve the turkey with festive vegetables of your choice and of course oodles of turkey gravy made with the giblet stock and turkey juices.
Notes
For the brine bath I recommend to use a large container much bigger than the turkey, as it is important to be able to submerge the turkey for the soak. This can be a very large saucepan or bowl, which must if you are living in a hot country be stored in a cold place for the 24 hour soak. Also please note, if the turkey does not sink, place a heavy plate on top to weigh it down deep into the salty liquid. For roasting I recommend to use a cooking thermometer probe, well pierced into a thick part of the turkey flesh, as they are excellent in making sure your turkey is cooked to the correct temperature throughout and ready to be removed from the oven. Finally, always remember to allow your turkey to sit after cooking, to ensure the cooking juices remain in the bird and keep everything moist and delicious.
