I’ve lost my instructions for brining a turkey, and I plan to make a smoked bird over the weekend.
Are you supposed to bring the bird to room temperature before covering it with water? If so, how (in the refrigerator or out in the open in your kitchen)?
Also, what is the formula for brining? IIRC it’s something like 1 cup kosher salt and 1 tablespoon sugar to 1 gallon of water, or something like that.
Can someone help me out, please?
TIA
HONEY-BRINED TURKEY WITH GIBLET CREAM GRAVY
Bon Appetit November 1999
This recipe, which may be available on www.epicurious.com, is the ultimate in brined turkey. My suggested modification is to use homemade chicken stock rather than canned broth. This elimates a possible concern with excess saltiness and as a bonus will save you money.
In my experience, you don’t need to bring the bird to room temperature, but you should thaw it in the refrigerator. It is unsafe to thaw in the open because the outside gets too warm before the inside thaws. The turkey will continue to thaw even more as you brine it. The brining should also be done in the refrigerator, BTW.
I’m not sure how brining interacts with smoking the turkey. With the recipe I cited, smoking may be overkill.
The recipe includes a few more things in the brine, but I think you have the right general idea. I think I’ve generally seen them take a little more sugar.
No, not thatMaster, but Alton Brown of Food TV’s"Good Eats."
If the link doesn’t work correctly, go to www.foodnetwork.com , find the show “Good Eats” and find the episode called “Romancing The Bird.”
I used this recipe last year and it was very easy and wonderful.
On preview, it works, but there’s a small banner ad to scroll past after the recipe title. Not a pop-up, so it’s not too annoying.