Honey Citrus Turkey Brine Food

HONEY CITRUS TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Place orange juice, water, honey, brown sugar, lemon, oranges, black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, and bay leaf in a large pot; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, 10 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually stir in ice to start chilling the brine.
• Pour brine into a large bucket; add more ice to finish cooling.

HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.
• Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.
• Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or on the metal bar over the gas flame. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, after 1 hour, replace wood chips with second cup.
• Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.

CITRUS TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Rub salt onto your turkey, and place remaining salt, lemons, oranges, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and pepper into a large pot. Place the turkey in the pot, and fill with water. Refrigerate overnight. Discard brine after removing turkey.

HERB CITRUS BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients except the turkey in a large vessel. (See the post photo).
• Add the turkey breast. Refrigerate 12 hours. Remove from brine. Place on a rack on a roasting pan.
• Refrigerate until ready to roast - several hours is ideal. Drying the turkey prior to roasting yields a better result.
• About 2 hours before serving, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place turkey in a roasting pan (rack is optional). Leave the net around the breast to hold it all together. If desired, stuff the cavity (created during the boning process) with citrus and herbs reserved from the brine mixture. When the oven is to temperature, place the pan in the oven, and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees (325 convection).
• Make the glaze (see below). After 20 minutes or so, begin brushing the breast with the prepared glaze. Repeat at 10-15 minute intervals.
• After 60 minutes, begin checking the internal temperature of the breast. When your reading is 155-160 degrees, remove from the oven, tent loosely with foil, and cover with a towel. All the turkey breast to rest 15-20 minutes before slicing.
• See the post for my "work flow" if coordinating all 3 dishes. Garnish with the reserved crumbled bacon, fresh herbs, orange slices, pomegranate arils, and any remaining glaze (I reheat it prior to drizzling). Enjoy!
• In a small saute pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble, and set aside to garnish the turkey.
• Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic. Cook until transparent but not browned.
• Add the sherry, juice from the 2 oranges (don't forget to zest them first!), pomegranate molasses, honey, and thyme sprig. Reduce by about 1/3. Pour through a strainer, add the butter, sea salt, and a few grinds of pepper.
• Brush the turkey breast periodically with the sauce. Any remaining sauce can be reheated, and poured over the turkey breast prior to serving.

SIMPLE TURKEY BRINE AND OVEN ROAST TURKEY RECIPE

Steps:

• Place 1 cup of table salt in the bottom of a large stockpot or clean plastic bucket. Add the water and lemon juice and stir until the salt dissolves.
• Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Discard or reserve to use later.
• Rinse the turkey under cold running water. Place the turkey in the brine and refrigerate for 10-14 hours.
• One hour before you're ready to roast the turkey, adjust the oven rack to the lowest position, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F for a 10-16 pound turkey, and 425 degrees F for a 16-20 pound turkey.
• Set a V-roasting rack inside of a large roasting pan, and set it aside.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and lemon zest and melt in the microwave on HIGH power for 20 seconds. Stir and then continue to heat at 10-second increments until completely melted and set aside.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse under cold water. Tuck the turkey's wingtips behind its back, and tuck the drumstick tips into the skin of the tail area.
• Brush the turkey breast, wings, and drumsticks with half of the butter mixture and sprinkle with two pinches of salt and two pinches of black pepper.
• Place the turkey breast-side down onto the V-roasting rack, and then brush the back of the turkey with the remaining butter and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Place the turkey in the preheated oven and roast for 45 minutes for a 10-16 pound turkey and 60 minutes for a 16-20 pound turkey.
• Take the turkey out of the oven, and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Use silicone oven mitts or folded clean kitchen towels to flip the turkey breast-side-up.
• Place the turkey back into the oven and continue to roast until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160-165 degrees F. This will take about 1 hour for 10-16 pound turkeys and, 1.5 hours for 16-18 pound turkeys, and 2 hours for 18-20 pound turkeys.
• Take the turkey out of the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes, and then move it to a large cutting board and carve.

HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.
• Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.
• Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or on the metal bar over the gas flame. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, after 1 hour, replace wood chips with second cup.
• Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.
• Recipe Summary.
• Difficulty: Easy
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Inactive Prep Time: 13 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

CITRUS-GLAZED TURKEY WITH CHIPOTLE GRAVY

Steps:

• For glaze:
• Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in next 7 ingredients. Freeze until mixture begins to firm up but is still spreadable, about 30 minutes. Set aside 1/2 cup citrus glaze for gravy.
• For turkey:
• Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and reserved turkey parts and sauté until onions are very deep brown, about 22 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and tomatoes to skillet and toss to blend. (Glaze and vegetable mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill. Cover turkey and chill.)
• Set rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Place small rack in center of large roasting pan. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with turkey parts around rack. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Place turkey on rack in roasting pan. Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast meat to loosen skin. Rub 1/2 cup citrus glaze over breast meat under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing loosely into neck and main cavities. Tuck wing tips under turkey; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Brush 1/3 cup glaze over top and sides of turkey (not bottom); reserve any remaining glaze. Sprinkle turkey generously with salt and pepper. Cover turkey (not pan) loosely with foil. Roast 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; add 1 cup broth to pan. Press foil snugly around turkey (not pan). Roast 1 hour 15 minutes. Add 1 cup broth to pan. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, adding 1 cup broth every 30 minutes, lifting foil to baste with pan juices and removing foil during last 15 minutes to brown turkey, about 3 hours 30 minutes longer if unstuffed or 4 hours 15 minutes if stuffed. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent with foil; let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature of turkey will increase by 5 to 10 degrees). Reserve pan juices.
• For gravy:
• Strain pan juices into 8-cup measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract some pulp and as much liquid as possible; discard solids in strainer. Spoon fat from top of juices; discard fat. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices in cup to measure 6 cups.
• Stir reserved 1/2 cup citrus glaze in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until melted. Gradually add flour; whisk 1 minute. Gradually whisk in pan juices. Bring to boil, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to medium; boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Brush any remaining glaze over turkey. Serve turkey with gravy.
• Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.