Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2-3 gallons water
- 1 fresh turkey, approx. 11 lbs.
- 1/2 stick melted butter
- salt, pepper and thyme
- by SUNDAY: purchase frozen turkey from the store. If frozen, start defrosting turkey in the fridge.
- MONDAY: if purchasing fresh instead of frozen, buy the turkey. Store in fridge.
- MONDAY or Tuesday at the latest: Dissolve the salt and sugar in the water in a large bucket or pot. Clear out some space in the fridge for the bucket.
- Rinse the turkey under cool running water. Pull out the package containing the liver, giblets and neck and store it in the freezer or refrigerator. I cook these on Thanksgiving day separately from the turkey - the neck is good for chewing on, and the other parts are good for the dog.
- Plop the turkey into the brine. It should be fully submerged, with perhaps only the tip of the tail peeking out of the solution. Carefully transfer the bucket into the fridge and let it sit for 2-3 days. Turn the turkey over a couple of times during its soaking time. It's okay to stick a partially frozen turkey into the brine because it will defrost fully over the 2-3 days.
- THURSDAY, Thanksgiving Day: take the bucket out of the fridge and dump the brine out. Rinse the turkey well and put it onto a roasting rack/pan set-up. Let it sit out on the counter for 1-2 hours at room temperature. It will cook better if it is not cold.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange your oven racks to fit the turkey in, before it gets hot!
- Wipe the turkey with some paper towels to dry it. Tie down any loose legs and wings with some kitchen twine if needed. Make a "breastplate" foil shield and fit over the turkey breast to keep it from overcooking.
- Coat the entire skin surface with 2/3 of the melted butter and sprinkle with salt (not too much, it's already been brined), pepper and thyme. Reserve the rest of the butter to baste during roasting.
- If desired, stuff a few carrots, celery stalks and an onion quarter into the cavity for extra flavor.
- Pour a couple inches of water with a can of chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan to keep the juice drippings on the bottom from drying up and burning. Refill the liquid as needed throughout the cooking.
- Roast for 1½ hours, then remove the foil breast cover and baste with remaining butter. Refill liquid at bottom of pan and add vegetables like celery, carrot and onion chunks to the pan bottom.
- Continue roasting until the internal temperature of the thigh meat is 165°F.* Start checking the temperature periodically with a meat thermometer after a total of 2½ hours roasting time. For a 10-11 lb. turkey, it should be done around 2½ - 3 hours. For a 15 lb. turkey it should be about 3 - 3½ hours oven time.
- Remove from oven and cover with a tent of foil while the bird rests for 20-30 minutes. The internal temperature should rise that final 5 degrees at this time. After resting, the turkey is ready to carve up and serve.
