Roasted Brined Turkey

by user Elocina

Info
Cook Time: 1-2 days prep time, 3 hours to cook

Serves: 6-12

Ingredients

 * 8.5-14 pound turkey
 * 2 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter to coat skin of turkey
 * 1/2 gallon of water
 * 2 cups kosher salt
 * 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
 * 2 Tbs. peppercorns
 * 2 gallons of ice water (50% ice)

Directions
1.==Brining==

2.In 1/2 gallon of water, combine the salt and brown sugar for the brine and bring to a boil for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add to 5 gallon bucket.

3.Add the remaining ice water.

4.Remove neck and giblets from turkey and put in 5 gallon bucket. If brine won't cover turkey add a little more water.

5.Put bucket in a cold area for 6 to 24 hours.

6.==Roasting==

7.Preheat the oven to 500°F. (You'll drop the temperature later, but start it hot to get a crispier, more flavorful skin. The effect will be to keep the fat from melting and rolling down the side of the turkey, which is only going to dry it out.) Roast at lowest level of the oven.

8.Place the turkey drumstick side down on a roasting tray (with slots to allow drippings through into a pan), or on a rack sitting in a pan. You will need a basting tool to get the drippings from this pan throughout the roasting process.

9.Place the turkey in the oven.

10.After about 30 minutes, drop the heat to 350 °F, remove from oven and put a tent of aluminum foil loosely over the breast of the turkey. This is going to keep the breast meat from overcooking and drying out.

11.For optimum safety and uniform doneness, it is recommended to cook stuffing outside the bird. #The internal temperature should be checked with a food thermometer and the breast must reach a minimum of 161 °F before removing it from the oven. The thigh, ideally, will be around 180 at this point. It should take about 2 3/4 to 3 hours to reach this temperature, a 14-16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2hours of roasting.

12.Let the bird stand 15-20 minutes before carving.

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