Apple Cider Brined Turkey Recipes

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine cider, vinegar, salt, and sugar; stir to dissolve salt and sugar.
• Bring to a low boil over medium heat; Add in peppercorns, sage, garlic, thyme and shallots.
• On low heat simmer for 5 minutes; remove from heat, add ice to brine mixture and set aside to cool.
• Remove the turkey from the wrapping, remove neck and giblets (set aside for giblet gravy), rinse and prepare bird by patting down with paper towels.
• Make a collar of the top of cooking bags (helps keep bags open), and slip bird inside, stand it upright (legs pointing up), and unfold the top of the bag.
• Once the brine is cooled to room temperature or less, pour the cooled brine over the bird, and add an additional cold water until bird is submerged in liquid.
• Squeeze out as much air as possible and secure with a twist-tie.
• Place the turkey, breast side down, in a roasting pan and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning over every 6-8 hours.
• Just prior to roasting, remove the turkey from the brine; discard the bags, brine, and all cured herbs, spices, and oranges remaining in the bird.
• Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper toweling.
• The turkey is now ready to be roasted. See cooking times for Brined turkey as it will be less than typical cooking time.
• Before cooking the bird, I typically use a rub with olive oil or melted butter/margarine. I quarter an apple and stuff inside the cavity for cooking, tenting the bird until the last hour. This will be the BEST roasted turkey you've had, hands down! I even prefer this over deep fried turkey as it is about as moist and has much more flavor to it. I compliment this turkey by serving giblet gravy, sautéed herbed mushrooms and Apple Wine Stuffing.

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups water, apple cider, kosher salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorns together in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil; cook and stir brine until the salt is just dissolved. Remove from heat; add ice cubes.

Steps:

• To brine the turkey: Combine all of the ingredients for the brine in a large container. Add the turkey and let it brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
• To prepare the turkey for cooking: Remove the turkey from the brine the night before roasting and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Combine the rosemary, sage, and butter for the herb crust in a small bowl. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Work the butter under the skin of the turkey and massage it into the breasts and the legs. Massage the butter on the outside of the skin as well. Tie the legs together over the breast so they will protect it during cooking and help keep it moist and juicy.
• Gravy preparation: Put the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, apples, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and thyme in a roasting pan and season with salt. Arrange the turkey on top of the veggies and refrigerate overnight UNCOVERED! Yes, that's right, uncovered. This will help the skin dry out and become really brown and crispy. Make sure that there is no raw food near the turkey in the refrigerator. After refrigerating overnight, the turkey is ready to go in the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Put 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until the skin gets really nice and brown, about 40 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F for the remainder of the cooking time. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so and add more stock to the roasting pan, if needed. Cook about 17 minutes per pound. Once it gets to the proper color, tent the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.
• Remove the turkey from the oven when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey registers 160 degrees F. Make sure that the thermometer is not touching a bone when doing the reading. When the turkey has reached the proper temperature, remove it from the roasting pan to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
• Strain all the veggies over a bowl to separate them from the stock/mixture. Discard the veggies. Skim off the fat and add it to the roasting pan. This is the fat for the roux. Put the roasting pan over 2 burners and over a low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture looks like wet sand, about 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1 cup apple cider, remaining chicken stock and the stock/cider mixture. Cook until the mixture has thickened and reached a gravy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pour into a serving pitcher or bowl.
• Carve the turkey, transfer to a serving platter and serve with the gravy.
• Give thanks for such a great turkey!!!

Steps:

• Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
• Mix water, apple cider, kosher salt, and sugar in a large pot or 5-gallon food-grade bucket, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Submerge the turkey in the brine, cover the container, and place in refrigerator, 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Remove turkey from brine and discard used brine. Place turkey with breast side up into a roasting pan; pat turkey and cavity dry with paper towels. Loosen turkey skin over the breast and thighs with your fingers.
• Mix olive oil, thyme, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. Rub the seasoned oil over the turkey and underneath the loosened skin. Cover turkey loosely with aluminum foil.
• Roast in the preheated oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, reads 165 to 175 degrees F (75 to 80 degrees C), 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove foil tent about 45 minutes before end of roasting time to let the skin brown. Let turkey rest 30 to 45 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• In a 3-to 4-quart saucepan, put the salt, sugar, ginger, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and allspice. Add 8 cups of apple cider or juice and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Boil for 3 minutes; then remove from the heat. Add 4 cups of ice-cold water, stir and set aside to cool.
• Have ready a heavy roasting pan large enough to hold the turkey. Place one of the bring bags inside the second one to create a double thickness; then place these bags, open wide, in the roasting pan.
• Remove the turkey from its wrapping. Remove the neck and bag of giblets from the main and neck cavities of the bird. Store separately in the refrigerator for making gravy. Stuff the main cavity of the bird with the orange quarters.
• Fold back the top third of the bags, making a collar. Place the turkey inside the double-thick bags, stand it upright, unfold the top of the bag, and pour the Apple Cider Brine over the bird. Add an additional 2 cups of cold water. Draw up the top of the inner bag, squeezing out as much air as possible; then secure it closed with a twist tie.
• Do the same for the outer bag. Place the turkey, breast-side down, in the roasting pan and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Turn the turkey 3 or 4 times while it is brining.
• Just prior to roasting, remove the turkey from the brine. Discard the bags, brine, and any cured herbs or spices remaining on the bird. Discard the oranges and ginger. Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. The turkey is now ready to be roasted according to your own favorite recipe.