Best Way Brined Air-Chilled Turkey
Serves 6 to 8, with leftovers
1 turkey, about 12 pounds
For the brine
1 cup sugar 1½ cups kosher salt 2½ gallons cold water 2 bay leaves, torn into pieces 1 bunch fresh thyme 1 head garlic, cloves separated, smashed and peeled 5 whole allspice berries, crushed 4 juniper berries, smashed
For roasting
2 tablespoons softened butter + butter for basting 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper ½ cup chicken stock
Instructions: Remove giblet bag and neck from turkey, along with any extra internal fat and pin feathers. Rinse well under cold tap water. Combine sugar, salt and water in a stockpot. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Add remaining brine ingredients.
Ice-chest and bag method: Double-bag two heavy-duty, unscented trash bags (not made of recycled materials) or use a purchased heavyduty brining bag. Put in an ice chest that is large enough to hold the turkey. Place the turkey in the bag, and pour in the brine to completely cover the bird. You may not need all the brine. Press out the air; if using two bags, close each separately. Keep turkey cold by piling bags of ice over and around the closed bags, which will also help keep the turkey submerged. Brine for 12 to 24 hours.
Refrigerator method: Place the turkey and enough brine to cover in a large pot. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours. If turkey floats to the top, weight it down with a plate and cans to keep it submerged in brine.
To air-dry: After brining, rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, 12 to 24 hours. Turn the bird over halfway through drying time.
Quick air-dry method: Rinse the brined turkey and pat dry, inside and out. Vertically place the turkey tail-side down on a rack set inside a roasting pan. Place turkey in front of a small fan set to medium for 20 to 30 minutes; turn the turkey to dry the opposite side. Finally, place turkey on the rack, breast-side up (positioned for roasting). Continue to dry with the fan, turning the turkey around once to dry the opposite end. The turkey can be roasted immediately.
Roasting: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread 2 tablespoons softened butter over skin. Sprinkle pepper over skin and in cavity. Tuck wing tips under, loosely truss legs and place turkey on a V-shaped rack in a roasting pan. Tent breast with foil.
Put the turkey in the oven. To ensure that the bird cooks evenly, rotate roasting pan 180 degrees every 30 minutes. Roast for about 1 hour, remove foil and baste turkey with melted butter and add the stock to the pan. Return to oven and roast, basting with pan drippings every 20 minutes, using more butter as needed.
Start checking internal temperature after about 1 hour by inserting an instant-read thermometer in the inner meatiest part of the thigh, not touching the bone. If legs or breast begin to get too brown, cover loosely with foil. Roast until internal thigh temperature reaches 165 degrees. Total roasting time should be about 2 to 2¾ hours. Let bird rest for 30 to 45 minutes before carving.