Good Eats Brined Turkey

This is the best turkey!! Seriously I am a huge fan of brining now. The recipe is from the Food Network show Good Eats. My husband did all the work - brining, washing, roasting. He did a great job. Really really good!

Good Eats Brined Turkey

14 pound frozen young turkey

Brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

Aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
6 fresh sage leaves
canola oil

Directions:

2-3 Days Before Roasting:
Begin thawing turkey in the refrigerator.

1 Day Before Roasting:
Combine vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from heat and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

16 Hours Before Roasting:
Combine the brine, and ice water in a 5 gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey, with innards removed, breast side down in the bucket with the brine. If necessary weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed. Cover and refrigerate for 8-16 hours (we did 16 hours), turning bird half way through brining.

At Roasting Time:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove bird from brine and rinse the inside and outside with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees and insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast. Set temperature alarm for 170 degrees (Alton Brown sets it for 161*, but we did 170*). Take bird out of oven when it reaches 170, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.