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| The Brine! |
Making a brine is really easy and brings a ton of flavor and moisture to the 'ol bird. I brine my turkeys overnight and take them out around 7:00am the next morning. Here we go:
Ingredients:
1 cup Honey Ginger White Balsamic
4 cups water
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
4 cups water
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
6 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups sea salt
3 tablespoons tellicherry peppercorns, whole
4 whole bay leaves
5 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
4 tablespoons green onion, chopped
2 limes, peeled and juiced
2 oranges, peeled and juiced
Place everything into a pot large enough to hold everything and set it over high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, shut off the heat and let it cool. That was easy!
Once the liquid is cool, place a small layer of ice in an ice chest or something else able to hold water with a lid. Place the bird on top of the ice and pour the brine onto the bird. Add additional water, around 2 gallons, until the bird is covered fully with liquid. At this point, I toss in another 1/2 cup of salt. Now, add more ice. Be sure to add enough ice to fully cover the bird. Close the lid and let it rest. Double check it before you go to bed and add more ice if necessary.
The next morning, fill a sink or other container with fresh water. Carefully remove the bird from the brine, let it drain and then place it in the fresh water. Allow the bird to soak for about 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry. Place it in your roasting pan and allow it to rest for another 10-15 minutes.
Next, Part 3 - putting it all together and roasting it up....
Go dtí an chéad uair eile ("until next time" - in Irish),
Jason
