Brined
Turkey
Ingredients
12-15 pound Natural Turkey
1 1/4 cups Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
2 1/2 gallons cold water
1 cup sugar
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 or 2 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns (a couple dozen or so)
Equipment
1 large non-reactive container -- I use a plastic cooler just
large enough to hold the turkey and the brine solution.
Method
1. Put the bird in the container and add water until it is
covered 1" deep. Remove the bird and measure the amount
of water used.
2. Using the ratio of water, salt and sugar above, adjust
the amount of salt and sugar to accommodate the amount of
water just measured.
3. Mix the brine in the container, to ensure that the salt
and sugar are thoroughly dissolved in the cold water. Add
the Turkey, the bay, thyme, and peppercorns. Weight the bird,
if necessary to keep it completely submerged.
4. Soak in the brine for at least 24 hours, and up to 36 hours.
5. The brine must be kept cold! Add a tray or two of ice cubes
to the container at the start. And use a probe thermometer
immersed in the brine, to signal a temperature close to 40
degrees F. Add more ice when necessary.
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