Full-Flavored Roast Turkey

Ingredients and Instructions

Start by soaking the turkey in brine. Use one to two gallons of water – enough to cover the turkey. The ratio

of salt and sugar for the brine is 1 -cup salt, (some prefer kosher), and 2/3 cup sugar per gallon of water. I ncrease

accordingly. It is all right if a little bit of the turkey is not submerged. Place the turkey, breast down,

in the wate r and let part of the back sit above the water. Sugar is optional, by the way, but does help the bird

brown beautifully.

1-1/2 cup kosher salt

1 cup sugar (optional)

One turkey (about 11 pounds), thawed if frozen, giblet bag, neck and tail cut off and re served for gravy (recipe

follows), excess fat around each cavity removed and discarded

Two medium onions, coarsely chopped

One c arrot, coarsely chopped

One celery stalk, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons melted butter

Mix salt, optional sugar and 1 -1/2 to 2 gallons of cold water in a clean bucket or pot large enough to hold the

turkey. Add turkey; refrigerate 12 to 15 hours. Remove turkey from brine, rinse thoroughly under cool running

water and pat dry.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat ov en to 400-degrees. Place half of the chopped onion, carrot

and celery in the turkey cavity. Tie the legs together and secure t he wings. Scatter remaining onion, carrot

and celery in a large roasting pan. Pour one cup of water over the vegetables. Set *V-rack in pan. Brush

back and sides with melted butter. Roast for 45 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Close oven door. Baste the back of the turkey with drippings from the caramelized

roasted vegetables, adding a little water to the pan if drippings ne ed loosening. With a wad of paper towels in

each hand, turn the turkey on its side so one leg and wing are up. Brush exposed area of turkey with loo sened

pan drippings. Add ½ cup water to the pan. Return to oven and roast for 20 minutes.

Remove turkey from oven; close oven d oor. Use the wads of paper towels to turn the turkey so the other leg/

wing faces up. Baste exposed areas with drippings. Add more water to the pan, if necessary, to keep veg etables

from burning. Roast 20 minutes more.

For the third time, remove turkey from oven; close door. Turn turkey breast side up and baste with drippings;

roast 35 to 55 minutes longer, until a mean thermometer inserted in the breast registers 160 -165-degrees and

the leg/thigh registers about 170 -degrees.

Keep checking the pan, making sure the vegetables maintain a rich caramel co lor; add water if they start to

burn.

Transfer turkey to a platter and let rest, uncovered, thirty minutes before carving. Me anwhile, pour excess fat

from pan; discard fat and reserve drippings for gravy.

*The solution to keeping the turkey moist is in the rotating while it is roasting. This technique, used in the

above recipe, requires a heavy-duty V -rack, which is available in kitchenware stores for about $12.00. Also

note, this technique works only for turkeys 14 -pounds or less.