Good Eats Roast Turkey

Full of seasonal flavors like ginger, allspice, apple and sage, Alton Brown's brined Good Eats Roast Turkey is an instant Thanksgiving classic.

Ingredients

For the Brine

  • 1 (14- to 16-pound) frozen natural, young turkey
  • 1 gallon vegetable broth (not low-sodium)
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
  • 1 gallon heavily iced water

For the Aromatics

  • 1 red apple, quartered
  • 1/2 yellow onion, quartered
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 6 leaves fresh sage
  • Canola oil

Instructions

  1. Thaw turkey 2-3 days in advance at 38°F.

  2. Prepare brine by combining broth, salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice, and ginger; boil, then cool and refrigerate.

  3. Brine turkey 8-16 hours (12 hours ideal) in 5-gallon cooler with ice water, breast-side down.

  4. Preheat oven to 500°F.

  5. Rinse turkey and pat dry completely.

  6. Create aluminum foil shield for breast protection.

  7. Microwave apple, onion, water mixture; place in cavity with rosemary and sage.

  8. Oil skin lightly and roast 30 minutes at 500°F.

  9. Insert probe thermometer into thickest breast portion; reduce heat to 350°F.

  10. Continue roasting until internal temperature reaches 155°F (approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours).

  11. Rest turkey 15+ minutes before carving.

Source: https://altonbrown.com/recipes/good-eats-roast-thanksgiving-turkey/