Thanksgiving Side Dishes & Prepping Your Bird

My local CSA  also sells organically raised chicken and turkeys. I  just picked it up my fresh 19.1 lb turkey from the farm – this post will cover  the care and preparation of a fresh turkey  for the Thanksgiving feast as recommended by my CSA:

Brining the Turkey:

2 cups kosher salt

2 cups sugar

2 gallons water (you can substitute orange juice, apple cider, or vegetable stock for some of the water)

Optional ingredients for flavor:

2 – 3 bay leaves

1/2 cup of your favorite dried herbs/spices (the usual suspects are sage, oregano, thyme, basil, cloves, cinnamon, etc)

1 tbs cracked black peppercorns

lemon and orange slices

crushed garlic cloves

In a large stockpot over medium heat, combine 1 gallon of water, salt,sugar & what ever optional ingredients you choose. Stir until sugar and salt have dissolved, but do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

Next, spread a layer of ince into the bottom of a cooler that is a little larger than the turkey. Place your brining bag inside cooler of ice and place the turkey breast side down, inside the bag. Pour the cooled brine over the turkey plus an additinal gallon of water or juice. To further cool the brine add ice into the bag. Seal bag, make sure to let out as much air as possible. Add additional ice to the cooler so that your turkey stays at 40 degrees while brining. Brine for 30 minutes for pound, Do not over brine to turkey will be salty.

Remove turkey from brine – completely rinse to remove excess brine. Prep for cooking as desired.

I will be prepping my bird as follows:

Melt 4 tbs butter (butter can be substituted for olive oil)

Gently seperate the skin from the breast but don’t remove it. You just want to be able to get your hand between the skin and the breast skin and the meat.  The goal is to rub the melter butter on the turkey breast between the breast skin and the meat. Don’t butter the outside of the skin. If you want to you can put some Rosemary and Thyme again between the breast skin and the meat. Lightly salt and pepper all the skin on the outside.

You may refrigerate your prepped  bird for up to  24 hours before cooking.

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