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Categories:
water apple juice kosher salt brown sugar garlic bay leaves black peppercorns rosemary oranges turkey butter rosemary orange zest
Viewed: 50 - Published at: 7 years agoIngredients
- 2 gallons water
- 2 cups apple juice
- 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 5 bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
- 3 oranges, peeled, white pith removed, skin roughly chopped
- 20 lbs turkey
- 3/8 cup softened butter
- 3 tablespoons minced rosemary
- 3 tablespoons chopped orange zest
Method
- Combine the water, apple juice, salt, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, dried rosemary, and orange peel in a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Turn off the heat immediately, cover, and allow mixture to come to room temperature.
- Cool mixture in the fridge until you're ready.
- To brine the turkey, remove the turkey from wrapper, remove interior bags (set aside and refrigerate), and rinse turkey thoroughly under cool water.
- Place the turkey into a plastic brining bag or a very large pot.
- Pour the cooled brine mixture over the top, adding extra cold water if you need more to completely cover the turkey.
- Seal the bag or cover the pot and allow the turkey to brine in the refrigerator for 16 to 24 hours before roasting.
- Before roasting, remove the turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Then soak in a sink full of fresh water for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Pat dry.
- Discard brine. (This soaking process will decrease the likelihood of too salty gravy).
- Preheat the oven 275 degrees F.
- Truss the bird and place it breast side up on a rack in a large roasting pan. Cover the turkey tightly with heavy duty foil. Make sure it's entirely covered (cover over the bottom edges of the pan).
- Place in the oven and roast for about 10 minutes per pound (a 20-pound turkey will roast for about 3 1/2 hours).
- Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the temperature to 375 degrees F.
- Remove the aluminum foil and set aside.
- Mix the softened butter with the rosemary and orange peel and rub all over the skin of the turkey, covering every single inch of the skin.
- Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, near the hip joint.
- Place the turkey, uncovered, back into the oven.
- Continue roasting the turkey, basting with butter every 30 minutes, until the thermometer registers 170 degrees F and until the juices are no longer pink.
- Remove from the oven and cover with foil until you are ready to carve and serve. Reserve pan juices to make gravy.
