25 Days of Christmas Recipes - Turkey Brine

Well, we have begun preparations for our annual "Cajun Night Before Christmas." We like to do our big meal on Christmas Eve, and I love to make a big, southern feast. We invite family, missionaries, and anyone else who needs a home on Christmas Eve. This year, we're hosting Jon's mom, Jon's sister and her family, and 3 sets of missionaries. It's going to be quite a group!

We also read "Cajun Night Before Christmas" to everyone, a book that many southerners own, as well as missionaries who served in the southern states. It's a favorite in our house.

Anyway, here's part of our feast - turkey! This year, I'm going to put it in a brine overnight before I cook it. Dawnie made it two years ago for Thanksgiving, and it is SOOOOO yummy!

Turkey/Poultry Brine

Ingredients:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 Tbs. peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp. allspice berries
1 1/2 tsp. chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

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

Directions:
1. 2-3 days before roasting, begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F. Combine the 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 the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
2. The night before roasting, combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
3. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
4. Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
5. Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 151 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.