TURKEY TIP: Brining for Beginners
Source of Recipe
Modesto Bee
Recipe Introduction
Why are some roast turkeys dry as sawdust while others are firm, juicy and well seasoned? The answer is brining, according to food writer Julia Collin, in a Cook's Illustrated magazine feature on the technique.
List of Ingredients
Soaking a turkey in brine -- a solution of salt (and often sugar) and a liquid (usually water) -- provides it with a plump cushion of seasoned moisture that will sustain it throughout cooking, she writes.
The turkey will actually gain a bit of weight from absorbed moisture, that stays with it through the cooking process. This weight gain translates into moist meat. The salt and sugar in the brine translate into seasoned, flavorful meat.
Lean and often mildly flavored meats with a tendency to overcook -- such as chicken, turkey and pork -- are perfect candidates for brining, which leaves them plump and seasoned.
Crisp that bird
For a 12- to 14-pound turkey, make brine by dissolving 4 cups kosher salt or 2 cups table salt in 2 gallons cold water in a large stockpot or clean bucket.
Rinse turkey thoroughly. Remove giblets, neck and tailpiece and reserve for gravy. Add turkey to brine and refrigerate or set in very cool spot (about 40 degrees) for 4 to 6 hours.
Remove turkey and rinse well under cool running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels.
Place turkey breast-side up on flat wire rack set over brimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and refrigerate, uncovered, 8 to 24 hours. This lets residual moisture left in the skin evaporate.
The skin will now crisp in the oven during roasting, instead of steaming from the excess moisture.
Using a rack to elevate the turkey in the oven, starting to roast the turkey breast-side down, turning it on either side during roasting, then finishing it breast-side up is the path to an evenly cooked turkey with a crisp skin.
Finish the job
A turkey should never be partially cooked and finished later; it becomes a prime breeding ground for dangerous bacteria.
When transporting a thawed, uncooked turkey, it should be packed in a separate cooler from other cooked or raw food, with plenty of ice or frozen gel packs.
Fresh or frozen?
Selecting a fresh or frozen turkey is your choice. Fresh turkeys need no thawing and are ready to cook. Frozen turkeys can be purchased months in advance, but plan enough thawing time before roasting.
The breast meat of most frozen brand-name turkeys has been deep-basted for juiciness.
To baste or not to baste
Basting throughout the roasting process is unnecessary. Pouring juices over the turkey's skin while it roasts will not make the meat juicier. The liquid penetrates only about 1/8 of an inch beneath the skin, and most of the juice runs off into the pan. Opening the oven door periodically to baste a turkey can cool the oven and possibly lengthen the roasting time.
So, before roasting, lightly coat the turkey's skin with oil, shortening or vegetable cooking spray to prevent the skin from drying.
Recipe
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