White Wine Turkey Brine Simple Food

BRINED AND ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.
• Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.
• For the turkey broth: Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
• Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.
• Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.
• Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
• For the pan gravy: Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat. Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup.
• In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.
• To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.

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.

THE BEST TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup salt, the sugar and 1 quart water in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the peppercorns, thyme, sage and lemon strips. Let steep and cool to room temperature.
• Pour the brine into a large stockpot or bucket and add 3 quarts cold water. Remove the neck and giblets (reserve for gravy) from the turkey and put it into the brine, pushing it down to cover. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine; rinse and pat dry. Cook according to your favorite method.

WHITE WINE TURKEY BRINE, SIMPLE

Steps:

• Add bay leaves, garlic, onion, salt, sugar and water to a large stock pot.
• Cut lemons in half and squeeze the juice into the rest of the brine ingredients; add the squeezed lemons.
• Bring to a boil and boil 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and cool too room temp; stir in wine.
• Add turkey; brine for 12 to 24 hours.
• Remove the turkey and rinse very well in cold water.
• Butter or oil the skin and roast as usual.

BRINED ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH WHITE WINE PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• For the brine: Combine the water, kosher salt, honey, bay leaves, garlic, black peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and parsley in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until completely cooled.
• For the turkey: Invert the turkey breast on a cutting board so the cavity is facing upward and the neck end is facing away from you. Starting at the neck end, use a very sharp boning knife to gently slice the meat away from the bone on one side of the breast, then slice away on the other side. Cut away constricting pieces of skin at the top and bottom of the breast as needed, making sure to keep the skin intact as much as possible. When most of the meat on both sides has been cut from the bone, use short strokes to detach the remaining meat and skin from the backbone on both sides, being careful not to cut all the way through the skin. Once the carcass is fully detached, you should have a large flap of skin with the 2 breasts connected to it (butterflied).
• Place the deboned turkey in a large brining bag or large resealable plastic food storage bag and add the cooled brining liquid. Seal and place inside a large bowl or pan; refrigerate, allowing 1 hour for every pound of turkey (be sure to calculate using the deboned weight of the bird).
• When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Have ready a large roasting pan fitted with a flat rack inside.
• Rinse the turkey breast well and pat dry. Season the skin lightly with salt and pepper. Discard the brining liquid.
• Open the turkey breast and lay it on a clean work surface, skin side down. Spoon 2 cups of the cooled dressing down the center and fold the turkey breast over. Using a 5-foot length of kitchen twine, tie a loop around one end of the turkey, securing it with a square knot. Spiral the twine around and under the turkey breast at 1-inch intervals all the way across; tie at the other end, then tie diagonally from one end to the other. The turkey breast should look compact and neat but not tied too tightly.
• Place the rolled turkey breast on the roasting rack; lightly grease the skin all over with nonstick cooking oil spray. Roast for about 20 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of one side of the breast reaches 160 degrees; the skin should be golden brown (the final temperature of 165 degrees will be reached during the post-roast resting period). Transfer the pan to the counter and tent the turkey breast loosely with aluminum foil for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Pour the pan juices into a fat separator measuring cup.
• For the sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine and increase the heat to medium-high; let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1/3 cup.
• Add 3 cups of the chicken broth and increase the heat to medium-high; bring to a boil, then reduce to medium or medium-low and cook for about 25 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 2 cups. (At this point, the sauce can be cooled to room temperature, then covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.).
• When the sauce has been reduced, whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining 3 tablespoons of (unheated) chicken broth in a small bowl to form a slurry, or thickener, for the pan sauce. Whisk the slurry into the saucepan; cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce has become slightly thickened (this is still a relatively thin sauce). Add the reserved pan juices and mix well. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper to taste and add the minced parsley and tarragon. Serve hot.

WHITE WINE BASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Serves 12 to 14 If your roasting pan only fits sideways in the oven, turn the pan every hour so the turkey cooks and browns evenly.
• For step-by-step photos, see our Roast Turkey and Gravy feature.
• Rinse turkey with cool water, and dry with paper towels.
• Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
• Place rack on lowest level in oven.
• Heat oven to 450°.
• 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.
• Remove pop up time if there is one, use regular meat thermometer in thick part of leg.
• Fold wing tips under turkey.
• Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey.
• (Stuff loosely if you choose, I do not stuff) 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°, and continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes, you will need to reheat the butter-wine mixture occasionally as the butter will harden.
• Watch 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° (stuffing should be between 140° and 160°) 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.