Brining makes turkey meat moist and never dry. The high heat used at the beginning ensures a crispy skin on the turkey and then lowering the temp and covering the turkey with foil to finish cooking keeps the turkey from getting too browned.
When finished roasting and resting, breast meat should be 170 degrees, thigh can be 180.
A 14-16 pound bird will take about 3 - 3 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving. (8-10 pound 2 - 2 1/2 hours).
In a large stock pot, mix all ingredients. The day before cooking, combine the brine and ice water in a 5-gallon bucket (or large enough pot). Placed thawed turkey, breast side down, into brine. Cover and refrigerate or set in a cool area for 6 hours.
The next day, remove turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly. Discard brine. Dry outside of turkey skin.
Place the bird on a roasting rack. Add chopped aromatics to turkey cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat the whole bird with canola or other neutral oil.
Heat oven to 500 degrees.
Roast on the lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil and return to the oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Continue to cook until internal thermometer reading is 165 degrees for breast and 170 degrees for thigh. Let turkey rest covered for 15 minutes before carving. Rested meat will be around 170 degrees for breast and 180 degrees for thigh meat.
A 14-16 pound bird requires approximately 3 hours of roasting.
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