Maple Brined Turkey Recipes

MAPLE-SAGE BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine first 10 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat. Add 4 quarts ice water to cool the brine to room temperature. , Put 1 turkey-size oven roasting bag inside the other; place in a large stockpot. Place turkey in inner bag; pour in cooled brine. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible. Refrigerate 18-24 hours., Preheat oven to 350°. Remove turkey from brine; rinse and pat dry. Discard brine. Place turkey on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Rub oil over outside of turkey; sprinkle with pepper and, if desired, salt., Roast, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, 2-1/2 to 3 hours. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.), Remove turkey from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.

MAPLE BRINED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. In a very large (14- to 16-quart) stockpot, combine the salt, sugar, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, chile flakes, 1 1/2 cups syrup, and 1 cup soy sauce. Heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, just until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat and stir in 5 quarts water. Let the mixture stand until room temperature.
• 2. Submerge the turkey in the liquid, press a piece of plastic wrap over the turkey and weight the bird down with a heavy dish of small pot so that the turkey stays in the liquid. Refrigerate for 1 to 3 days.
• 3. Remove the turkey from the brine, pat dry with paper towels, and discard the brine. Place the turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Let stand for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• 4. Tuck the wing tips behind the back and tie together the ends of the drumsticks with kitchen twine. Scatter the onions around the turkey. Season all lightly with salt and pepper.
• 5. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Add the remaining 2 cups water to the pan. Continue roasting for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Baste the turkey two or three times during the roasting.
• 6. Transfer the turkey and onions to a serving platter and let rest while making the sauce. Strain the pan juices into a fat separator. Pour just the jus back into the roasting pan; discard the fat. Set over medium heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons syrup and 2 tablespoon soy sauce. Simmer, stirring and scraping the pan, until reduced by one-third, about 5 minutes. Serve the jus with the turkey and onions.

MAPLE-BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• For brine, in a 10-quart pot combine water, syrup, salt, and brown sugar; stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Set aside.
• Rinse turkey inside and out; remove any excess fat from cavity. Carefully add turkey to brine. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
• Remove turkey from brine; discard brine. Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Tuck drumstick ends under the band of skin across the tail. (If the band of skin is not present, tie the drumsticks securely to the tail.) Twist wing tips under the back. Brush with oil. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of one of the inside thigh muscles.
• Cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast turkey in a 325 degree F oven for 2-3/4 to 3 hours or until thermometer registers 180 degrees F. After 2-1/4 hours, remove foil and cut band of skin or string between the drumsticks so thighs will cook evenly. When done, drumsticks should move very easily in their sockets. Cover turkey; let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before carving. Makes 12 servings.

MAPLE-BRINED ROAST TURKEY WITH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• Make the brine: Combine 8 cups water, the salt, maple syrup, sage, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander seeds and lemon zest in a very large pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and add 1 1/2 gallons cold water. Stir to combine. Set aside to cool slightly, then refrigerate until cold.
• Once the brine is cold, slowly add the turkey, allowing time for the brine to enter the cavity so the pot doesn't overflow. Cover with a lid or a large plate and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the turkey from the brine (discard the brine). Drain any brine from the cavity, then blot the turkey very dry with paper towels and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to cook.
• Meanwhile, make the sage butter: Combine the butter, sage, parsley and a big pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Loosen the skin from the breast, thighs and drumsticks with your fingers, being careful not to tear the skin. Rub the sage butter under the skin, pressing down on the skin to help spread out the butter. (This can be done several hours before cooking.)
• Put an oven rack in the lowest position and remove the other racks. Preheat to 350˚ F. Set a metal cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Season the turkey lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Place on the rack on the baking sheet, breast-side up, and roast, rotating the pan after 1 hour, until the turkey is well browned all over and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 155˚ F, 2 1/2 hours to 2 hours 45 minutes total. (Start checking the internal temperature at 2 hours 15 minutes.) If the breast starts to get too dark, cover loosely with foil. Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest at least 30 minutes before carving.

MAPLE TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Place 2 quarts of water in a large pot over medium heat, and stir in brown sugar, soy sauce, maple syrup, sea salt, garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, peppercorns, and whiskey. Stir to dissolve brown sugar and salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 2 quarts of water. Allow brine to cool completely before using.

MAPLE BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients, except the turkey, in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring until the salt dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Line a large stockpot with an unscented garbage bag and put the turkey into the pot. Pour the cooled brine over the bird, close and seal the bag, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the brine, dry well, and discard the brine.
• Roast the turkey as you normally would, approximately 15 minutes a pound. Let stand for 30 minutes before carving.

MAPLE-BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. Marinate the turkey: In a sturdy 2-gallon plastic bag, combine the lemon juice, maple syrup, corn oil, shallots, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, lemon zest, and pepper. Add the turkey to the bag, squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Distribute the marinade evenly over and inside the turkey. Set the turkey, breast-side down, in a bowl in the refrigerator and marinate for 24 hr, turning occasionally. 2. Preheat the oven for 450: Position the oven rack near the bottom of the oven. Wipe off the shallots and garlic from the turkey and pat dry. Strain the marinade into a bowl, skim off the oil and reserve. Set the herbs, garlic and shallots aside separately. 3. Using your fingers, carefully loosen the turkey skin over the breasts and thighs. Mix 1 c. maple syrup and 1/2 c. olive oil. Put all but 3 T of the mixture in and around the turkey and other the skin. 4. Roast turkey, basting frequently, for at least 4 hr.

MEAN CHEF'S MAPLE BRINE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in large stainless steel pot.
• Bring to simmer, remove from heat and cool completely Remove turkey neck and giblets.
• Rinse turkey well.
• Put turkey in cold brine.
• Use a stainless, plastic or other non-reactive container.
• Add water if brine doesn't cover bird.
• Refrigerate 2- 4 days, turning bird twice a day.
• To cook: remove turkey from brine, pat dry, brush with olive oil.
• Either grill or cook in oven.
• It is also advantageous to leave the dry turkey in the refrigerator for at least 4 hour or overnight, uncovered.
• This completely dries out the skin to insure a crisp finish.
• DO NOT stuff turkey.