Friday, April 28, 2006

Simply the Best Turkey Ever

This really is the best I've ever made, and honestly, the best I've ever HAD.

Start with a natural turkey, no nastiness injected into it.

Soak it in a brine of 1 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar per gallon of water. Soak for at least 12 hours, I did mine for about three days.

Drain off, let sit, uncovered, in fridge for at least one day so the skin dries out.

Place on rack in pan, sprinkle with pepper and sage. Tent with foil.

Roast at 325 for as many hours as recommended in any cooking guide. (Our ten pounder took about 3 1/2 hours.) Should register between 180-185 degrees.

Let set for at least 1/2 an hour before carving.

The moistest, most wonderful tasting bird you'll ever have. I promise.

4 comments:

  1. That's a really high temp for the final bird. We cook ours till the thermometer says 161, and let it rise to 165.

    I haven't tried the let it dry for a day in the fridge step. Is the skin really crispy?

    OH Kim, from TM

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  2. For the temp, we went by what Better Homes and Gardens had to say. When it was at 160, the timer didn't pop out, but at 180 it did.

    Drying it just let the skin brown and crisp a little, not too much.

    Leni<><

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  3. I follow the Alton Brown method of cooking turkey, which says "ignore the little timer" because by the time the breast is done to that temp, it's dry, dry, dry.

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_8389,00.html for the details.

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  4. I will be updating this, because I have found a much easier way to brine! Next time I thaw a turkey, you're in for a treat!

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