Alton Brown's Roast Turkey

I'm obsessed with food. We all know it. I love to cook it, and I love to eat it. That's pretty much why all my posts have nothing to do with my day-to-day life, or how Trevor and I are doing with school and work, and whatnot. And it's basically why I'd rather make meatloaf than go to the gym. It's because I really just care about what I'm having for dinner tonight. You should be glad though, because I share some of my favorite recipes with you! And your kitchens are happier for it, I hope :)

That being said, this is a two way street, you know. I like it when people share their recipes with me too! So, please do. Tell me what you like or hate about the recipes I post, or send me better ones, or post them on your blogs. I love me some new recipes.

In honor of Thanksgiving next week, I want to share my new favorite turkey recipe. We tried it last year, and it was seriously the best turkey I've ever had in my life. I'm not kidding. At all. My grandma makes a mean turkey, with basting, and slow cooking, and moist goodness, but Alton Brown's Roast Turkey kicks my grandma's turkey's trash (sorry Grandma). Everyone at our Thanksgiving dinner last year loved this turkey. PLUS, it is incredibly fun to make!

I'm in charge of turkey again this year, and as I'm heading out to the store tomorrow to begin preparations, I thought I'd give you a heads up so you could have time to make it too!

You can check out Alton's recipe on foodnetwork, and watch his videos for tips and stuff, but I'll explain everything here too, plus a bunch of stuff you might miss if you haven't watched the episode of Good Eats. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html

This recipe starts 3 days before Thanksgiving, by thawing your bird in the fridge. So I'll be starting on Monday.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen turkey

For the brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock (8 16oz cans)
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water
• 1 clean 5-gallon bucket

For the aromatics:

• 1 red apple, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• Canola oil

Brine, you say? What the what? Don't worry, your turkey won't taste anything like the Great Salt Lake. A brine is actually a salt/sugar solution that you  use to soak your meat in like a marinade. Brining is basically like osmosis--after a few hours sitting in the salt water, your turkey will begin to absorb the water, taking in all the flavor of the brine with it. The flavors in the water begin to flow between the water and the turkey. Thus, your turkey meat actually begins to taste like your brine. So make it good!

Here's what you do:

1. MONDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING: Start thawing your bird in the fridge. I'm doing a 14-16 pound bird, and 3 days should do it. Even if it's still a little frozen on the big day, it's okay. (When you're picking your bird, allow at least 1 pound of turkey per person. All your turkey will get eaten. Do 1.5 or 2 pounds per person for leftovers. Consider two birds instead of one giant bird if you're worried about size.)
2. WEDNESDAY DAY:  Make your brine. Combine all your brine ingredients into a big pot, except the ice. Alton's recipe calls for candied ginger, but I didn't use it last year because I couldn't find it. You can use whatever ingredients you have. It's important to use kosher salt, as the measurements are made with kosher salt in mind. If you don't have it, you can use table salt, but remember to use less. A teaspoon of table salt contains more salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt because the grain is finer on table salt. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/kosher-vs-table-vs-sea-salts/index.html) Dissolve the solids and bring to a boil. Cool and refrigerate. 
3. WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Begin brining your turkey. Combine the brine and 1 gallon of heavily iced water in your CLEAN food-safe 5-gallon bucket. Add your turkey (innards removed) breast-side down to your brine. Alton says to brine for 8-16 hours. I'd definitely go on the longer side. I start brining right before going to bed Wednesday night, and leave it in until I start the oven. So, more than 16 hours, but what the hey. Leave your sealed bucket somewhere cool, where the water will stay icy throughout the entire brine. I put mine on the porch, and I've heard garages are even better.
4. THURSDAY MORNING: Turn your turkey over in the brine, and continue to brine until you're ready to cook. 
5. THURSDAY DAY: Consider how long your turkey needs to roast. My 14-16 pound bird will take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. For a 16-20 pound bird, add about 30 minutes, and so on. My family is eating at 6:00 PM, so I will preheat my oven at 3:00 PM to allow for resting time. PREHEAT your oven to 500 degrees. Yes, 500. REMOVE your turkey from the brine and rinse it off; pat dry with paper towels. Place your bird onto a cookie sheet topped with a wire rack. Tuck your birdy wings back or truss with string.
6. THURSDAY DAY: T-minus 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Start your aromatics. Microwave your cinnamon stick and cut up apple & onion in a cup or two of water for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, get yourself a square of aluminum foil and fold it into a triangle. Brush a little bit of oil onto one side of the foil, and fit it onto your turkey. You're making a sort of turkey breast shield that you will later use to protect the white breast meat from overcooking. Set your foil shield aside. Stuff your turkey with aromatics--apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and herbs. Coat your turkey with canola oil. 
7. THURSDAY: T-minus 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Roast your turkey at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Use the lowest oven rack level. 
8. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, cover your turkey with your foil shield, and put it back in. You can use a probe digital thermometer that stays in the turkey, alerting you when it reaches the right temperature-- or you can do what I do. LEAVE THE TURKEY ALONE FOR 2 HOURS or until it reaches 161 degrees. Check the turkey after two hours with your meat thermometer, and put it back in if it's not there yet. Be sure to check the thickest part of the turkey breast, and don't hit any bones with your thermometer. Don't trust the pop up thingy that comes in your turkey. It will over cook your white meat.
9. Your turkey is done when you hit 161 degrees.
10. Remove from the oven and rest, covered, while you do other stuff for 15 minutes or so.
11. CARVE :)

You're going to love this. The pepper/allspice brine adds a sweet/savory hint to the meat, and the aromatics lend their flavor throughout. The skin is crispy, the meat is juicy, and the white and dark meat are both properly cooked. 

You can buy me a Christmas present to say thank you ;)