Martha Stewart Turkey Brining Food

TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Bring 1 quart water, salt, bay leaves, and spices to a simmer, stirring until salt has dissolved. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Line a 5-gallon container with a large brining or oven-roasting bag. Place turkey in bag. Add salt mixture, remaining 6 quarts (24 cups) water, and the other ingredients. Tie bag; if turkey is not submerged, weight it with a plate. Refrigerate 24 hours, flipping turkey once.

CLASSIC BRINED AND ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Put salt, sugar, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and 10 cups water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat; let brine cool completely.
• Add turkey, breast first, to the brine. Cover; refrigerate 24 hours. Remove from brine; pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Stir together melted butter and wine in a medium bowl. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover breast and halfway down sides of turkey. Immerse cloth in butter mixture; let soak.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Loosely fill body and neck cavities with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fold neck flap under; secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey all over with softened butter; season with salt and pepper.
• Remove cheesecloth from butter mixture, squeezing gently into bowl. Reserve butter mixture for brushing. Lay cheesecloth over turkey. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Roast 30 minutes. Brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Roast, brushing every 30 minutes, 2 1/2 hours more; cover with foil if browning too quickly. If making gravy, add giblets and neck to pan 1 1/2 hours after reducing temperature; roast 30 minutes, and reserve.
• Discard cheesecloth; rotate pan. Baste turkey with pan juices. Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees and stuffing reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour. Transfer to a platter. Set pan with drippings aside for gravy. Let turkey stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes. Garnish, if desired.

BRINED SLOW-COOKED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, dissolve salt and sugar in 1 gallon cool water. Place turkey, bone side up, in brine and weight it with a plate. Refrigerate 6 to 8 hours. Rinse turkey thoroughly under cool water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Set up grill for indirect cooking. Place turkey on grill, away from hot coals; cover, keeping vent holes open over meat. Grill until cooked through, or an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of turkey registers 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours (if using a charcoal grill, add a couple handfuls of charcoal every half hour to maintain heat). Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

TURKEY BRINE WITH WINE - MARTHA STEWART

Steps:

• Tools and Materials:.
• 5-gallon brining container (tub, stockpot, or bucket).
• Large brining or oven-roasting bag.
• Refrigerator (or a cooler with ice).
• One day before roasting turkey, bring 1 quart water, the salt, bay leaves, and spices to a simmer, stirring until salt has dissolved. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Step 2: Submerge the Turkey. I used a brining bag.
• To minimize cleanup, line a 5-gallon container with a large brining or oven-roasting bag. Place turkey in bag. Add salt mixture, remaining 6 quarts (24 cups) water, and the other ingredients. Tie bag; if turkey is not submerged, weight it with a plate. Refrigerate for 24 hours, flipping turkey once.
• If there isn't room in your refrigerator, place the bagged bird inside a cooler, and surround it with ice, replenishing as necessary to keep it at 40 degrees.
• Step 3: Remove and Roast.
• Remove turkey from brine one hour before you're ready to roast it, and pat it dry inside and out. Let stand for up to 1 hour before roasting it to your preferred recipe's specifications.

MARTHA'S HERBED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Combine water, 3/4 cup salt, and the sugar in a large stock pt, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add turkery, weighting it with a plate, if necessary, to submerge completely. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 hours.
• Remove turkey from brine. Pat dry with paper towels, then let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Mash garlic and 1/2 tsp salt with the side of a large knife until a paster forms. Transfer to a small bowl and add 4 tablespoons softened butter and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
• Using the handle for a wooden spoon, gently separate turkey skin from breast meat, being careful not to tear skin. Spread herb butter mixture evenly under the skin, then smooth down to remove trapped air. Brush turkey with 1 tablespoons melted butter and season with salt and pepper.
• Make the veggies: Preheat oven to 425 degree with rack in lowest position. Place all the vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
• Arrange veggies in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Top with a rack. Place turkey breast on rack, skin skide up and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees. Continue roasting, rotating sheet halfway through, and basting turkey with with pan juices and tossing veggies occasionally, until breast is golden brown and thickest part of the turkey registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour. Transfer veggies to a platter and turkey to a cutting board, and let rest for 30 minutes before carving.

MARTHA'S PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Rinse turkey with cool water, and dry with paper towels. Let stand for hours at room temperature.
• Place rack on lowest level in oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl. Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut it into a 17-inch, four-layer square. Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine; let soak.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy metal roasting pan. If the turkey comes with a pop-up timer, remove it; an instant-read thermometer is a much more accurate indication of doneness. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Fill large cavity and neck cavity loosely with as much stuffing as they hold comfortably; do not pack tightly. (Cook remaining stuffing in a buttered baking dish for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.) Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string (a bow will be easy to untie later). Fold neck flap under, and secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey with the softened butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
• Lift cheesecloth out of liquid, and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp. Spread it evenly over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey; it can cover some of the leg area. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Using a pastry brush, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with butter and wine. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. and continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes and watching pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.
• After this third hour of cooking, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth. Turn roasting pan so that the breast is facing the back of the oven. Baste turkey with pan juices. If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine. The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully. Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes.
• After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Do not poke into a bone. The temperature should reach 180 degrees.(stuffing should be between 140 degrees.and 160 degrees. and the turkey should be golden brown. The breast does not need to be checked for temperature. If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven, and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.
• When fully cooked, transfer turkey to a serving platter, and let rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Pour all the pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Let stand until grease rises to the surface, about 10 minutes, then skim it off. Meanwhile, place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup dry red or white wine, or water, to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan until liquid boils and all the crisp bits are unstuck from pan. Add giblet stock to pan. Stir well, and bring back to a boil. Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the defatted pan juices, and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes more. You will have about 2 1/2 cups of gravy. Season to taste, strain into a warm gravy boat, and serve with turkey.