Buttermilk Brined Turkey Recipes

JUICY BUTTERMILK BRINED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Read the directions ENTIRELY before beginning!
• Refrigerator: A 10 pound turkey should take about 3 days to thaw in the refrigerator.
• Fast Thaw: A quicker method is to place the wrapped turkey in a bucket of cold water, for about 10-12 hours, changing the water every few hours.
• Remove the turkey neck, heart and liver from inside. You can either throw them away or set aside for other uses.
• Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, then set aside.
• In a very large bowl, add the buttermilk, salt, poultry seasoning, black pepper, crushed garlic and chopped onion. Stir a few times to combine.
• Line a large bowl, bucket or pot (make sure it's something that can fit in your fridge) with a large roasting bag. You can even use one of those cheap large plastic storage boxes instead of a bag if they're big enough to hold the turkey and brine.
• Place the turkey inside of the brining bag, then pour the buttermilk brine over the turkey. Make sure the turkey is completely submerged in the brine. If not, you may have to turn the bag every few hours to make sure every side of the turkey gets a chance to marinate.
• Tie or seal the brining bag tightly, making sure all the air is pushed out. Transfer to the refrigerator overnight or preferably for a maximum of 24 hours.
• Pour the brine out into the sink. Remove turkey and rinse the brine off completely.
• Pat completely dry with paper towels, then set aside to sit for 30 minutes.
• Place your oven rack on the bottom. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
• Inside the Cavity: combine the salt, thyme, garlic powder, black pepper and paprika. Sprinkle half of the mixture inside of the turkey and use your hands to spread it around.
• Flip the turkey around and sprinkle in the other half of the seasoning mixture. Rub it on the underside.
• Stuff the cavity with an apple and orange. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine or unflavoured dental floss.
• Place the halved garlic heads, onion and herbs into the roasting pan, then place a roasting rack on top.
• Place the turkey upside down on the rack, then twist the wings so they are laying flat on the back (see photo above)
• In a medium bowl or a liquid measuring cup, combine the melted butter, minced garlic, olive oil, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, cajun seasoning and paprika.
• Brush the back and sides with the seasoned butter. Pour the water into the roasting pan.
• Transfer pan to oven and roast for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes: remove the pan from the oven and use a clean dish towel to carefully flip the turkey around so it's front is facing up.
• Brush the entire turkey with some more of the butter mixture. The oil may have separated, so you'll need to give the mixture a good stir before brushing on.
• Turn the oven down to 325°F and continue to roast the turkey for another hour.
• Add the minced garlic, chopped fresh oregano, fresh basil and fresh thyme to the butter mixture and stir to combine.
• After 1 hour: Remove the apple and orange from the cavity.
• Brush the entire turkey with more of the butter mixture.
• Roast the turkey for another hour, then brush with the remaining butter.
• After another hour: Scoop some of the juices inside of the cavity and pour it over the turkey to baste it.
• Continue to roast for a final 30 minutes - 1 hour, or until an internal thermometer inserted between the breast and leg reads 165°F/75°C. Also test by piercing the meat between the leg and the thigh, if the juices run clear, it's cooked through.
• You can cover the turkey loosely with foil for the last 30 minutes if you don't want it to brown too much.
• Remove turkey from the oven and transfer to a large plate or baking sheet. Loosely cover with the foil and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.
• Transfer turkey to your presentation platter, take a photo, get a few oo's and awe's, then carve and serve with cranberry sauce or gravy (made from the pan drippings!) Enjoy!!

BUTTERMILK-BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• Buttermilk Brine: Pour water into a medium saucepan over high heat. Add salt and stir to dissolve; once all the salt has dissolved, remove from heat and add ice cubes to cool quickly.
• In a large stock pot, add basil, coriander seed, mustard seed, black peppercorns, bay leaves, and garlic powder. Add buttermilk, salt water, and stir.
• Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water. Line a stock pot large enough to hold the turkey with a brining bag. Place the turkey into the bag, then carefully pour in the buttermilk brine. (Optional: Use a pitcher to help transfer the brine.) Press out all the air, then seal the bag. Transfer the bagged turkey to a sheet tray and refrigerate for 24-36 hours, turning every 4 to 6 hours for even brining.
• Remove the turkey from the brining bag; discard the brine. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat completely dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place the turkey breast side up on a rack in a large roasting pan. Twist and tuck the wing tips underneath the turkey. Cross the legs, then tie together with kitchen twine. Rub the skin evenly with butter. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile, position oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 F.
• Season the turkey all over with pepper. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 325 F and continue roasting, about 15 minutes per pound. After 1 hour of total cooking time, remove turkey from the oven, opening and closing the door as quickly as possible to maintain the temperature. Baste turkey with the juices that have accumulated in the pan. (Tip: For easier basting, tilt the pan to allow juices to collect on one side.) Check temperature by inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh, away from the bone. The turkey is done when a digital thermometer registers 165 F at the thickest part of the breast and 175 F at the thigh. (At this point, the turkey won't be done, but you will have a better idea of how much cooking time is left.) Continue roasting, basting and checking the temperature every 30 minutes. Total roasting time should be 2½-3½ hours.
• When turkey has reached temperature, immediately transfer to a carving board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes before carving. (See the "How to Carve a Turkey" lesson for carving instructions.)

BUTTERMILK-BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine water, salt, parsley, coriander, peppercorns, mustard seeds, garlic powder, and bay leaves in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Boil until salt has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Stir in buttermilk.
• Rinse turkey in cold water. Place in a brining bag and pour buttermilk brine over the top. Refrigerate for 24 hours, turning occasionally.
• Discard the brine and rinse turkey thoroughly in cold water. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and place breast side-up in a roasting pan. Rub butter over all of the skin and let turkey sit for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cook turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 3 hours.

BUTTERMILK-BRINED SPICE-RUBBED TURKEY

Steps:

• Brine the turkey: Bring 2 cups water, the salt, brown sugar, 1 halved garlic head and 10 thyme sprigs to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from the heat and add 6 cups cold water; let cool to room temperature. Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce, mustard and sliced onion in a large bowl, then whisk in the salt-sugar mixture. Place the turkey in a brining bag or extra-large pot. Pour the brine over the turkey, seal or cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Position a rack in the lowest part of the oven; remove the other racks and preheat to 350˚. Set a rack in a large roasting pan. Remove the turkey from the brine, letting the excess drip off as much as possible, and transfer, breast-side up, to the rack. Pat the turkey dry. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Combine the paprika, onion powder, granulated garlic, cayenne and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Stuff the turkey cavity with the remaining 1 halved garlic head and 10 thyme sprigs and the quartered onion; tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wings under the body. Season the turkey all over with salt and brush with the melted butter. Coat the turkey with the spice mixture.
• Roast the turkey 1 1/2 hours, then baste with the pan drippings. (Add 1/4 cup water to the roasting pan if it's too dry.) Continue to roast, basting every 30 minutes, until the skin is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165˚, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before carving.

SPICED BUTTERMILK-BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• Bring 1 quart water, salt, bay leaves, and spices to a simmer in a medium saucepan, stirring until salt has dissolved. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Line a 5-gallon container with a large brining bag. Place turkey in bag with 4 quarts water, salt mixture, buttermilk, onions, garlic, and thyme; tie bag. (If turkey is not submerged, weight it down with a plate.) Refrigerate for 24 hours, flipping turkey once.
• Remove turkey from brine; discard brine. Rinse turkey and pat dry. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Tie turkey legs and tuck wing tips under. Transfer to a large roasting pan fitted with a rack. Place in oven, legs first, if oven permits. Roast 45 minutes, then lower temperature to 325 degrees and roast, rotating and basting about every 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Let stand at least 30 minutes before carving.

BUTTERMILK-BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients together in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Place in a bowl, to catch any leaks, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey breast from the brine, drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
• Place the turkey breast, skin-side up, on a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the skin is nicely browned. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium heat and oil the grates generously with vegetable oil.
• Once the turkey has rested, cut the meat off the bone and carve into 3/8-inch thick slices. Place the slices on the grill and cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side, just until grill marks develop.
• Remove from the grill. Use in a Po' Boy or as main course.

BUTTERMILK-BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• One to two days before you plan to cook, place buttermilk and salt in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and stir to dissolve salt. Place turkey breast in the bag and seal carefully, expelling the air. Squish the bag to distribute buttermilk all around the turkey, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. If you're so inclined, you can turn the bag periodically so every part of the turkey gets marinated, but that's not essential.
• Two hours before you plan to start cooking, remove the turkey from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Discard buttermilk, set the breast on a rimmed plate and bring it to room temperature.
• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 425 degrees. Place breast skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack or parchment paper.
• Place baking sheet on the prepared oven rack and roast the turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast without touching bone registers 150 degrees, about 40 minutes for a boneless breast or 50 minutes for a bone-in breast. (You may want to tent the breast with aluminum foil if it's darkening too quickly.)
• Transfer turkey to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest at least 15 minutes before carving.