Brine:
1 cup salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock (I just use some better than bullion)
1 Tbsl Black Peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp allspice berries
1 1/2 tsp chopped candied ginger
`1 gallon heavily iced water.
Turkey:
14-16 lbs
Injectables:
melted Butter
hot sauce - tabasco (put a lot in Jared's piece, but go easy on the rest of the turkey)
fresh garlic, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary (if desired scatter them on top of turkey before closing the turkey bag.)
Directions:
1. thaw turkey 2-3 days before roasting in the refrigerator.
2. combine vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and ginger in large stockpot over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Then remove brine from the heat to cool to room temperature.
3. Early on the day you'd like to eat, combine the brine water and ice water. I use less than a gallon of stock or ice water and just use my stock pot. Cut out the backbone and save it with the innards covered in the fridge. Place the thawed turkey in the brine. Put it in the fridge for 8 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
4. Preheat oven to 500*. Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine. Place bird on roasting rack inside a turkey bag (with flour). Tuck wing tips behind back. arranging so that it does not overlap the edges, pressing down on the breast bone to flattern the breasts slightly. Leave the top part of the turkey exposed out of the bag. Do not close it yet.
5. Melt 4 T of butter with 4 T hot sauce. mix together and inject into the turkey. Inject every inch or so. Coat the bird and skin with olive oil.
6. Roast turkey at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the turkey and then seal the turkey bag - cutting a few holes into the top. Insert a prove thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and set alarm to 161. A 14-16 lb bird should require a total of 2-2.5 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving.
