INGREDIENTS ~
Brine:
- 2 cups of Light Grey® Celtic Sea Salt (1 lb. Bag)
- Or you can use 2 cups of our NEW delicious Celtic Kosher Sea Salt (1 lb. Bag)
- 2 oranges, quartered
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey
- 1 large orange, cut into 1/8ths
- 4 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter at room temperature
- Light Grey Celtic® Salt and Organic Peppercorns
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/8ths
- 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- ½ bunch sage
- 3 or 4 sprigs parsley
- 1 ½ to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting
Turkey Broth:
- 1 tbsp ghee or butter
- Reserved turkey neck and giblets
- 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
- 1 small bay leaf
- 3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
- 3 cups water
Gravy:
- 4 cups turkey broth
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter or ghee
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Light Grey Celtic® Salt and Organic Peppercorns
STEPS ~
- The purpose of brining is to tenderize the meat while adding flavor. A solution of salt is dissolved in water, and meat is then submerged for a set amount of time, changing the cell structure and making it more moist and, often, more flavorful. A big, portable cooler is a wonderful basin for brining a large turkey!
- The basic formula for a brine is 1 cup Celtic Kosher Sea Salt® for every gallon of liquid (whether water, juice, stock, or beer). This recipe calls for 2 gallons of liquid.
- You can also add sugar and any other seasonings to taste; try herbs, garlic, or peppercorns.
- Brining saturates the meat with the flavor of these seasonings.
- Unlike marinating, which flavors the outside, brining gives you deeper flavor and increased moisture.
- The larger the meat, the longer it should brine; a whole turkey takes 6 to 8 hours or so.
- Add ice to the brine to keep it under 40 degrees Fahrenheit in case you don't have room in the refrigerator.
- Once you're done brining, remove the meat from the brine, pat it dry, and cook it the same way you would otherwise.
For the Brine:
- To make the brining solution, dissolve the Celtic Kosher Sea Salt® in 2 gallons of cold water in a nonreactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, food grade plastic storage bag). Make sure you have enough brine to cover up to a ¼ inch above the top of your turkey!
- Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.
- Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1 cup of Celtic Kosher Sea Salt® for every gallon of water.
- Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy.
- Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.
- Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water.
- Pat dry with paper towels both inside and out. Place turkey, breast side up, in a large, heavy roasting pan.
- Rub breast side with orange segments and rub on all sides with the butter, stuffing some underneath the skin.
- Season lightly inside and out with Celtic Sea Salt? and pepper.
- Stuff the turkey with the onion, remaining orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage, and parsley.
- Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.
- Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock.
- Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time.
- Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.
- Remove from the oven and place on a platter.
- Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
For the turkey broth:
- Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute.
- Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes.
- Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
- Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup.
- Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.
For the pan gravy:
- Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat.
- Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat.
- Add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the remaining 3 cups of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup.
- In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat.
- Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with Celtic Sea Salt® and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.
Slice and serve to guests with desired sides.
Recipe created by Carla Delangre.