I've said it before and I will say it again:
Alton Brown's Brined Turkey?
Best. Turkey. Ever.
You can debate all you want about whether brining helps or not. I have tried many other recipes--dry brines, wet brines, unbrined, grilled, smoked, even sous vide--and every time we come back to this recipe as the absolutely best combination of flavor and juiciness. Period.
My only adaptation is I always spatchcock my birds now. Don't be afraid of spatchcocking, it is SO EASY. If worried, test it on a whole chicken before you try the turkey. I highly recommend getting poultry shears for turkey, as the thicker bird is harder to do with just knives or kitchen shears.
This makes stuffing with the turkey drippings dripping on them throughout the cooking process--making the stuffing taste like "stuffed stuffing" without the salmonella risk or turkey meat drying out--while allowing you to have an aromatics component that would have been unseated by a pile of stuffing.
You can also have part stuffing, part cubed potatoes under the turkey if you wish. They also absorb the drippings and become soft and flavorful. If you want crispier potatoes, at the end of the cooking time, you can remove the stuffing and turkey to rest, then put the potatoes under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp them up a bit. Turn them one for more even browning. (pro tip: keep a close eye on these potatoes, as all the fats and oils they have absorbed means they will crisp quickly and burn without supervision).
You can sub the russet potatoes for sweet potatoes; a mix of russets and sweet potatoes; make it a root veggie mix with carrots, turnips, potatoes, etc. Whatever you like.
One pan cooking makes it easier on you and less coordination. Results are the best in the 25+ years I have been cooking turkeys.
ONLY DOWNSIDE: If you make your gravy from pan drippings, with this method your drippings will mostly or entirely be absorbed by the starches beneath. BUT, my momma makes a fabulous gravy from pan browning the neck and giblets, and then making a base broth from them. It is essentially this recipe, but browning the neck and giblets first to get that caramelized, maillard-reaction flavor in the gravy that you would miss from the drippings. It whips up pretty darn quick, and is something you can do while the turkey is finishing cooking. Don't want the additional steps? Try a delicious make-ahead gravy to really impress.
Next year, I may try Alton's Turketta!
Alton Brown's Brined Turkey?
Best. Turkey. Ever.
You can debate all you want about whether brining helps or not. I have tried many other recipes--dry brines, wet brines, unbrined, grilled, smoked, even sous vide--and every time we come back to this recipe as the absolutely best combination of flavor and juiciness. Period.
My only adaptation is I always spatchcock my birds now. Don't be afraid of spatchcocking, it is SO EASY. If worried, test it on a whole chicken before you try the turkey. I highly recommend getting poultry shears for turkey, as the thicker bird is harder to do with just knives or kitchen shears.
Quick Brine Tip:
Alton suggests putting your bird directly into a cooler. We did that, and it was a mess. It worked, but no thanks. We also did a food safe 5 gallon bucket, but without insulation (and not being willing to put it outdoors and trust a lid with a brick on it to keep it safe from critters), we struggled to keep it cool enough all night. We now get the largest roasting bag available--food safe!--make the brine and MAKE SURE IT IS COOLED BEFORE YOU IMMERSE YOUR BIRD IN IT. Do not put hot brine in with your cold turkey, that could put your poultry in the danger zone. Then drop the turkey into the bag and fill with the brine solution. Then we tie it off tight and place that into a cooler with ice, rotating it and adding ice as needed a few times throughout the 12-18 hours before cooking, for good measure. So much easier to keep at a safe cold temp, and simpler clean up.
I do use Alton's suggested "molded breastplate" foil tent over the top of the bird (outlined here) as it gives us the most consistent cooking results, but I personally remove it in the last 30-45 minutes of cooking to crisp up the skin a bit. I MUST have crispy skin, and his recipes just don't take that into account. I have not found that this dries out the breast in any significant way, and I get crispier skin. Don't like that chance of dry white meat? In the last 5 minutes of the 15 minute resting period, peel off the skin and saute it in a pan with a little butter. Then fist fight your sister over who gets to eat it all. Oh...just us, then?
Shay's Stuffing Tweak Directions:
Alton suggests putting your bird directly into a cooler. We did that, and it was a mess. It worked, but no thanks. We also did a food safe 5 gallon bucket, but without insulation (and not being willing to put it outdoors and trust a lid with a brick on it to keep it safe from critters), we struggled to keep it cool enough all night. We now get the largest roasting bag available--food safe!--make the brine and MAKE SURE IT IS COOLED BEFORE YOU IMMERSE YOUR BIRD IN IT. Do not put hot brine in with your cold turkey, that could put your poultry in the danger zone. Then drop the turkey into the bag and fill with the brine solution. Then we tie it off tight and place that into a cooler with ice, rotating it and adding ice as needed a few times throughout the 12-18 hours before cooking, for good measure. So much easier to keep at a safe cold temp, and simpler clean up.
I do use Alton's suggested "molded breastplate" foil tent over the top of the bird (outlined here) as it gives us the most consistent cooking results, but I personally remove it in the last 30-45 minutes of cooking to crisp up the skin a bit. I MUST have crispy skin, and his recipes just don't take that into account. I have not found that this dries out the breast in any significant way, and I get crispier skin. Don't like that chance of dry white meat? In the last 5 minutes of the 15 minute resting period, peel off the skin and saute it in a pan with a little butter. Then fist fight your sister over who gets to eat it all. Oh...just us, then?
Shay's Stuffing Tweak Directions:
- Line roasting pan with heavy duty foil (for easier cleanup later). Spray with cooking spray or oil a little with olive oil.
- Make a little foil boat for the aromatics, set it in the middle of the roasting pan.
- Put a ring of stuffing around the outside edges of the pan, reserving any you want to keep vegetarian.
- Place spatchcocked turkey on top of bed of stuffing (or you can put a rack on them and the bird on top of that for easier removal later for the rest period) and cook for recommended time.
This makes stuffing with the turkey drippings dripping on them throughout the cooking process--making the stuffing taste like "stuffed stuffing" without the salmonella risk or turkey meat drying out--while allowing you to have an aromatics component that would have been unseated by a pile of stuffing.
You can also have part stuffing, part cubed potatoes under the turkey if you wish. They also absorb the drippings and become soft and flavorful. If you want crispier potatoes, at the end of the cooking time, you can remove the stuffing and turkey to rest, then put the potatoes under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp them up a bit. Turn them one for more even browning. (pro tip: keep a close eye on these potatoes, as all the fats and oils they have absorbed means they will crisp quickly and burn without supervision).
You can sub the russet potatoes for sweet potatoes; a mix of russets and sweet potatoes; make it a root veggie mix with carrots, turnips, potatoes, etc. Whatever you like.
One pan cooking makes it easier on you and less coordination. Results are the best in the 25+ years I have been cooking turkeys.
ONLY DOWNSIDE: If you make your gravy from pan drippings, with this method your drippings will mostly or entirely be absorbed by the starches beneath. BUT, my momma makes a fabulous gravy from pan browning the neck and giblets, and then making a base broth from them. It is essentially this recipe, but browning the neck and giblets first to get that caramelized, maillard-reaction flavor in the gravy that you would miss from the drippings. It whips up pretty darn quick, and is something you can do while the turkey is finishing cooking. Don't want the additional steps? Try a delicious make-ahead gravy to really impress.
Next year, I may try Alton's Turketta!
Yum - thanks for sharing!
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