Brined Roast Turkey

A-la Alton Brown:

• 1 14-16lb frozen young turkey

For the Brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 tsp allspice berries
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water

For the Aromatics:

• 1 red apple, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• canola oil

I. 2-3 Days Before Roasting:

Begin thawing turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice & candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally, to dissolve solids & bring to a boil. Then remove from heat, cool to room temperature & refridgerate.

II. Early on the Day or the Night Before:

Combine the brine, water & ice in a 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure that it is fully immersed, cover & refrigerate or set in a cool area for 8-16 hours, turning the bird once halfway through the brining.

Preheat the oven to 500. Remove the bird from brine & rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on a roasting rack inside a half sheet pan & pat dry with paper towels. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick & 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish & microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary & sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird & coat the skin liberally with canola oil. Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast & reduce the oven temperature to 350.

Set the thermometer alarm to 151 degrees. A 14-16lb bird should require a total of 2-2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Makes 10-12 servings.