About the Recipe
For generations in our house, turkey was the main event during the holidays.
I love turkey all year round, it's pretty fun to roast a bird on a random wet and chilly weeknight in the spring or summer and enjoy a new take on a Tuesday celebration. For us, there's nothing quite like all the extended family gathered in the kitchen, fighting over oven and stove space, each trying to make their signature potato dish, crispy and caramelized brussel sprouts or new versions of cranberry and gravy. It's always messy, but always delicious.
Did you know: Turkey is much more than just a bird on your table at Thanksgiving, it is packed with high quality lean protein that boosts with iron and bursts Vitamin B12. Over 60 BC turkey farmers raise turkeys all year round, equating to over 230 million servings of turkey.
Chef tip: I love brining my birds; turkey, chicken, quail and duck.
It helps retain moisture after cooking and a balance of sweet, salty and sour flavour.
Ingredients
Brined Turkey:
18 lb (ish) BC Turkey
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp brown sugar
4 bay leaves
¼ cup black peppercorns
8 sprigs rosemary or thyme
5 cloves of garlic
4 sprigs sage
Rub:
½ lb butter
Sage or flat leaf parsley
Salt
Cracked pepper
Cranberry Sauce:
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup cranberry juice or apple juice/cider or orange juice world
½ cup honey or maple syrup
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Preparation
Brined Roasted Turkey:
In a pot, combine 1 quart of water, 1 cup of salt, sugar and apple cider vinegar. Bring this mixture to boil and once all of the salt has dissolved, take off heat. Add 3 quarts of water, let cool. Crush garlic and herbs with the back of your knife before adding them to your brine.
Place turkey in the bottom of a large stock pot or bucket. As long as you are able to cover the turkey with liquid, you should be ok. This recipe can be adapted to any amount of water as long as you use the ratio of 4 quarts water to 1 cup salt. Once the brine is cooled pour brine over turkey. Be sure the breast and legs are covered. - If the turkey floats, put a clean, heavy plate on top to submerge it.
Cover pot with lid and/or plastic wrap and REFRIGERATE for 12-24 hours.
Remove your turkey from the brine, rinse and set on a cooking grate to dry. I usually pat my turkey down with a paper towel so the skin is nice and dry. - Carefully peel back the skin from the bottom of the turkey breast. You should be able to get your whole hand underneath without tearing the skin. - Cut the butter into small cubes, bruise the sage and carefully lay under the skin and on top of the breast.
Chop 2 cups of celery, onion and carrots and place on the pan under the turkey (these veggies will add more aroma and flavour to the turkey and your gravy. - Roast at 375 F until the skin has become golden and beautiful, and cook until a digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 F. Let cool and carve! Prepare for a juicy, flavorful and delicious turkey! Let the turkey rest for 15-30 minutes tented under tin foil. Strain the vegetables and reserve the drippings for your gravy.
Turkey Gravy:
Whisk the drippings in a pot over medium heat until bubbling away. While whisking add 2 tbsp flour per cup of drippings, whisk enough so there are no lumps, or if there are, pass the gravy through a strainer. Finish with 2 tbsp of white wine (or apple juice) per 1 cup of gravy.
Cranberry Sauce:
Simmer all ingredients in a medium size pot over medium heat for 20-25 minutes until the cranberries swell and burst and the liquid reduces by half - Let the mixture cool and put in an airtight container in the fridge - You can also puree the cranberry sauce for a smooth jam like puree (i like it chunky)