Herb-Brined Roast Turkey

Ingredients

• Herb-Brined Roast Turkey
• 1 (15- to 20-pound) fresh turkey
• 2 cups kosher salt or 1 cup noniodized table salt
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried sage
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
• 1 tablespoon celery seeds
• 1 tablespoon black pepper- corns
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 medium celery rib, chopped
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• Turkey stock (homemade recommended)
• Special Equipment:
• A large stockpot or receptacle (over 6 gallons)

Directions

The night before roasting, rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Reserve the turkey neck and giblet to use in gravy or stock. In a large stockpot, mix 2 gallons cold water with salt, rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram, celery seeds and peppercorns, stirring until salt dissolves. Place turkey in the pot. Cover and place in a cold spot (lower than 40 degrees) or in the refrigerator. Let stand overnight.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the onion, carrot and celery.
Remove turkey from brine and rinse well, inside and out, under cold running water. Pat the skin and body cavities dry with paper towels. Turn turkey on its breast. Loosely fill neck cavity with some of the onion mixture. Using a thin wooden or metal skewer, pin the neck skin to the back. Fold the turkey's wings behind the back or tie to the body with kitchen string. Loosely fill the large body cavity with the remaining onion mixture. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string.
Place turkey, breast side up on a rack, in the roasting pan. Rub all over with butter. Tightly cover breast area with aluminum foil. Pour 2 cups of turkey stock in bottom of the pan.
Roast turkey, basting all over every 30 minutes with the juice on bottom of pan (lift foil to reach breast area) until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of thigh, but not touching the bone, reads 180 degrees, about 4 1/2 hours.
Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 1/2 cups at a time. Remove foil during the last hour to allow breast skin to brown.
Transfer turkey to a large serving platter and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, make the pan gravy. Carve turkey and serve. Makes 15 to 20 servings.

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: "Thanksgiving" 101 by Rick Rodgers
Submitted By: Laurellee Rodriguez
laurelleerodriguez@hotmail.com
Herb-Brined Roast Turkey