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Gobble gobble gobble
by Steph Weber - December 19th, 2008Categories: cook, pair
Remember a while back when I wrote a post about brining? I talked about brining pork chops. Well, it works for a big ol’ turkey too.
You do it the exact same way for a large bird as you would for a small cut of meat. Only difference is, you need a lot more brine.
First, acquire a very large bucket. I used a 5 gallon bucket for a 13 lb turkey. Mix up the brine in the bucket and stick the turkey in it. You might notice that the turkey floats, like so:
"I don't wanna go in the nasty saltwater!"
Just weigh it down with a dinner plate, and you’re all set. Should take about 6 hours for the brine to work its magic. So be patient and plan ahead.
"*Gurgle*"
I went ahead and used a recipe for this turkey. Fine Cooking has a lovely recipe for Roasted Turkey with Juniper-Ginger Butter. I highly recommend it. The juniper-ginger butter is really delicious rubbed underneath the skin of the turkey before roasting. And it doubles as flavoring for the gravy later on too. Can’t go wrong there!
Once your turkey is all brined and ready for roasting, place it in the roasting pan and completely cover the pan with foil.
"What's going on, why'd it get so dark in here?"
The recipe suggests to roast it this way, undisturbed for 2 hours. Then remove the foil, and you’ll find a really nasty, sickly-looking thing underneath.
“Uhhh… I don’t feel so good.”
You’ll then stick it back in the oven to finish roasting and brown up the skin. Go by the temperature of the bird (165° F), not the cooking time. Overcooking a turkey is a very sad ordeal indeed.
"Ahhhh, I haven't looked this tan since that time I went to Jamaica."
Okay, I’ll admit, I didn’t tuck the wings under the breasts properly, so my bird isn’t the prettiest thing. I couldn’t find my kitchen twine, and I figured, this was just for me and husband anyway, so I could skip it this time. But if you’re going for presentation, do a little better than I did here.
I served the turkey alongside a couple more recipes from Fine Cooking — Rustic Bread Stuffing with Dried Cranberries, Hazelnuts & Oyster Mushrooms and Green Beans with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette & Parmesan Breadcrumbs.
I also roasted up some sweet potatoes with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper (this is the only way Tim will eat sweet potatoes). I put some of my Holiday Chutney on the table, and voilà, a turkey feast!
Yes, this was only to feed two people. I went a little overboard...
Since pumpkin pie is always associated with turkey dinners, I paired this feast with my favorite pumpkin ale, Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale. It worked beautifully. The full, rich, spiced flavors of the beer went perfectly with those of the meal. A match made in heaven.
A turkey feast paired with Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale