Well, it is Turkey Time!
For those of you that have to make a turkey, I have a few tips to share!
You should definitely Brine the Turkey… Brining meats before cooking them is a very effective way to increase the moisture and tenderness of the meat. There are different types – you could wet or dry brine. You can purchase them at Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel or Sur La Table. Or… you could make one yourself!
The most simple recipe is water and salt… But you can also add sugar and/or aromatics from your spice rack.
The most basic brine solution is water and salt, roughly 2 cups kosher salt (or 1 1/2 cups table salt) to 2 gallons of cold water. Many recipes also add sugar or honey (1 cup per 2 gallons water), which cuts the saltiness and gives the turkey a rich amber color as it roasts. I would suggest trying to add brown sugar to the water and salt brine…. A turkey should be brined for 12 to 24 hours. The big thing to remember? Wash off the brine.
A couple of other tips I have picked up… I stuff our turkey with citrus and an onion to help keep it moist. Stuffing is done in a separate pan.
I also put butter under the skin and on the skin….
Another trick I learned is to cook the turkey for an hour at a higher temp for the first hour to brown the turkey like in this picture.
Cooking a turkey can seem daunting, but there is so much information out there to help your through it!
Do you have any tips for roasting the perfect turkey?
Enjoy!
