Pardon my Turkey

Holiday Turkey Brine Recipe

I love this turkey brine recipe. It will make your turkey moist and delicious, so long as you don’t overcook it for a half an hour or more. I’ve been using it for four or five Thanksgivings now and I’m pretty sure it’s as perfect as I can get it:

1 gallon Water
8-16 ounces Brown Sugar (scale down for less sweet, up for sweeter).
1 cup Kosher Salt
10-15 each Juniper Berries
5-10 each Peppercorns
1 head Garlic, split horizontally
1 bunch Fresh Thyme
1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds (optional)
To taste Cajun Spices (only if you want it spicy)

Heat half the water to a boil; add the remaining ingredients and stir until the salt and sugar is completely dissolved. Then remove from the heat, allow the brine to cool slightly and add the remaining water to cool further. Mixing ice cubes into the second half of the water is a good way to cool it faster.

Place the turkey in a large container such as a pot or one of those clothing sized Ziploc bags. Add the brine until the turkey is submerged.** Brine for 1-4 days under refrigeration. Remove and pat dry before frying or roasting. If roasting, I recommend coating with an Aoli to retain even more moisture and flavor.

**Important Note: This recipe will likely not make enough brine to cover your bird. Keeping the ingredient ratios the same, multiply the recipe by 1½ or 2 based on the size of your bird and capacity of your brining container.

Turkey Tips:
Throw out that plastic thermometer button on your turkey and buy a $5 meat thermometer. The plastic indicators always wait until your bird is dead a second time before they change color. Temp at the thigh (along the bone) and in the breast. You’re turkey is done when it reaches a minimum temperature of 165 degrees.

Try frying your turkey if you’ve never done it before. This technique requires special equipment and a little bit of study to be safe, but the reward is a moist and succulent bird of joy!

If roasting, consider baking your turkey upside down on its breast for ¾ of the total roasting time. This will help retain more moisture in the breast.