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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Thanksgiving Turkey Review

This wasn't my first year hosting Thanksgiving dinner and cooking the bird, but it was however, my first year brining the bird.  I have to say, brine is fine.  (OK that was cheesy.)  I am a brining believer now.

This recipe came from my boss, who claims it is from a very old issue of Gourmet magazine.  The only thing I changed was to add some fresh sage to the cavity and tucked in to a few places under the skin.  The glaze was amazing, this will definately be my new turkey recipe. 

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ALISON’S TURKEY RECIPE

This is for a 14 lb. turkey

FOR BRINE:

Mix the following in a LARGE pot:

6 quarts water

2 large onions, quartered

1 Cup Kosher salt

1 Cup chopped fresh ginger root

¾ Cup golden brown sugar

4 large bay leaves

4 whole star anise

12 whole black peppercorns

Bring to a simmer until sugar and salt dissolve. Cool completely.

Rinse turkey and soak in brine overnight.

FOR TURKEY:

2 large oranges, cut into wedges

¼ Cup olive oil

2 Tblsp. oriental sesame oil

FOR GLAZE:

¾ Cup maple syrup

½ Cup white wine

1/3 Cup Dijon mustard

2 Tblsp. butter

Remove turkey from brine. Dry with paper towels. Place oranges in cavity. Mix oils and brush over turkey. Roast until almost done, covered with foil.

Last 45 minutes – bring glaze ingredients to a simmer in saucepan; brush over turkey 2 to 3 times until turkey temperature is 180 degrees.

Eat and Enjoy!

 

Did anyone else have something new you tried this year that turned out spectacular?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I always brine but the glaze oh wow, I have to try this, maybe Christmas!

Claire Uncorked said...

WOW. That looks awesome! Maybe if we ever get around to making a holiday turkey, we'll give this a shot.

Anonymous said...

Mmmm...that looks so good! We used a brine for our turkey too (from Alton Brown) and smoked it for four ours on T-Day. AMAZING!!! :)

Kelly said...

That looks fantastic and that coming from me is a lot as I never eat thanksgiving turkey. However, with a glaze like that and a luscious brine to keep it moist I might have to change my mind.

Unfortunately I don't usually get to make sides on Thanksgiving. I think my family has declared my tastes a bit too ecclectic for their Minnesotan sensibilities.