Shannon here: Revell author, Lorna Seilstad shares her recipe for turkey and a chance to win her book, Making Waves. Comment on any blog post from Nov 22 – 25 by midnight Nov 27 Central time for a chance to win. This is how Maye from White Doves cooked her turkey. Here’s Lorna:
Perfect Turkey by Lorna Seilstad
Brining is the secret to a moist, flavorful, juicy turkey. It also breaks down the proteins, so the meat is more tender. Soaking it overnight is easy.
1 (14-16 pound) turkey
1 C. Kosher or coarse salt
½ C. light brown sugar (if desired)
1 gal. water
1. Dissolve salt (and sugar if using) in 2 C. hot water. Add to remaining gallon of water.
2. Remove giblets and neck from thawed turkey. Save to make broth.
3. Place turkey in new bucket, small cooler or pot depending on the size of bird.
4. Pour water over turkey.
5. If making a larger turkey, you may need to mix up an additional gallon of salt water to make sure the turkey is covered.
6. Store turkey in fridge overnight (12-24 hours) or in cool back porch if you live in a cooler region (temps in 20’s or 30’s at night). If storing in the cooler, add a bag of ice to the cooler. If using a bucket, set the bucket in a trashbag and fill trashbag with ice. Be sure the pot or bucket are covered.
7. In the morning, rinse turkey well and set it breast side down on v-shaped rack of shallow baking dish. Discard brine.
8. Place a quartered onion, 1-2 chopped carrots, 1 chopped stalks of celery, and 3 sprigs each of fresh rosemary inside cavity of bird. Putting stuffing inside the bird means you have to cook the turkey until it is too dry.
9. Bake upside down until the last 30 minutes of baking time. Turn over to brown. ( A brined turkey should bake about 10-12 minutes per pound for unstuffed, 15-18 for stuffed.)
10. Bake at 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh or 170 in breast. If you do stuff the bird, the stuffing should reach 165 degrees. Do not overcook.
11. Let rest 30 to 40 minutes before carving.
12. When making gravy, remember the juice is already salty, so you will not need to add more.
About Lorna: Lorna Seilstad has called Iowa home her whole life. She received her B.S. in education from Lubbock Christian Univerity. After her first child was born, she quit teaching and became a professional wiper. “I wiped noses, tears, skinned knees, baby’s bottoms, and countertops every day. But at naptime, I wrote.” Today, she writes historical fiction with a generous dash of humor. Learn more: http://lornaseilstad.com/ and http://inkspirationalmessages.com/
Come back Nov 24 for Linda Fulkerson’s cornbread dressing recipe and a chance to win her book, The Prodigal Daughter.
Yum. My girls have told me that since we’re not having Thanksgiving at OUR house this year, we must, at some point, cook one. Number 2 daughter said that she wanted it fancier than just baking it, which is what I usually do. Lorna and Shannon, you are lifesavers. 🙂 Tangerine ones. They’re my favorite.
sounds like an interesting method – can’t wait to try it 🙂
Regina,
So glad to be of service.
Kim,
I’ll probably never try it. One of my goals in life is to never have to cook a turkey.
Regina, I can’t wait to hear how your turkey turns out.
Kim, I have to admit that just typing up the recipe made my mouth water. I hope you enjoy it.
Shannon, thanks for having me on your blog.