Here’s a third recipe for that special bird! Don’t give up! Pick the recipe that seems to fit your kitchen and your personality. I’ve used them all and nobody has ever left without eating.
CITRUS DRY-BRINED TURKEY
Servings 0
Ingredients
- 14-16 pound turkey thawed
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fine-grain sea salt kosher works great, too
- 1 5-inch sprig rosemary, leaves removed and mince, plus a few more sprigs for roasting
- 2 sprigs thyme leaves removed and minced, plus a few more sprigs for roasting
- 2 sage leaves minced, plus a few more leaves for roasting
- 1 lemon skin zested and lemon cut into wedges
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
Instructions
- In a small food processor, add the salt, minced rosemary, minced thyme, minced sage leaves and zest from the lemon, bay leaf and ground coriander. Pulse it a few times until it’s all mixed together.
- To prep the turkey, remove the gizzards and neck bone and put them in a new plastic bag and place them in the fridge to use for the gravy, if you're doing that. Pat the turkey dry with a bed of clean paper towels.
- If you have one, transfer the turkey to the center of a brining bag. Roll down the sides of the bag; this will make it easier to get in there and rub the turkey. Flip the turkey over, breast-side down, and rub half of the salt mixture all over the backside. Flip it over, breast-side up, and rub the remaining mixture all over, being sure to even rub some in the cavity of the turkey. Wash your hands and then press the sides of the bag, releasing any air that’s in the bag, and seal it. You want an airless bag. Roll the bag over the turkey and transfer to the fridge, so the bird is sitting breast-side up. Allow to brine for at least 24 hours.
- If you don’t have a brining bag, just use the grocery store bag it came in, if it's plastic.
- The following day, remove the turkey from the brining bag and cook however you’re planning to cook your turkey. (This is where my son-in-law takes over.) If you are planning to roast the turkey, transfer to the cooking rack that’s set inside of the roasting pan. Pat dry to remove any moisture from the turkey; allow to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
- At the 45-minute mark, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Pat the turkey dry one last time. Add a few extra sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage to the turkey's cavity, along with the reserved wedges of lemon.
- Flip the turkey, breast-side down. Place in the oven to brown for 30 minutes.
- Flip the turkey over so it's breast-side up. Reduce the oven’s temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Cook for an additional 2 1/2 hours, until the internal temperature of the bird (inserted into the thickest part of the thigh) reads 165° F. Be sure to check on it periodically. If at any time the bird begins to brown too much, turn the heat down to 300° F and don’t be afraid to tent it with a loose piece of foil. (Note: A “loose” piece of foil is important because you don’t want to steam the turkey!)
- When the turkey is done, carefully remove it from the roasting pan and transfer to a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes, before slicing it. While the turkey is resting, feel free to use the drippings to make gravy. Carve the turkey and serve.
Notes
You can wash the turkey before seasoning it if you like, but I’m not a fan of doing that