The Perfect Canadian Turkey
Ingredients
Brine
- 18 Ib BC Turkey
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 bay leaves
- ¼ cup black peppercorns
- 8 sprigs rosemary of thyme
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 4 sprigs sage
Rub
- ½ Ib butter
- Sage or flat leaf parsley
- Salt
- Cracked pepper
Instructions
- Place turkey in the bottom of a large stock pot or bucket. As long as you are able to cover the turkey with liquid, you should be ok.
- In a pot, combine 1 quart of water, 1 cup of salt, sugar and apple cider vinegar. Bring this mixture to boil and once all of the salt has dissolved, take off heat. Add remaining 3 quarts of water, let cool.
- Crush garlic and herbs with the back of your knife before adding them to your brine.
- Once the brine is cooled, pour over turkey. Be sure the breast and legs are covered.
- If the turkey floats, put a clean, heavy plate on top to submerge it.
- Cover pot with lid and/or plastic wrap and REFRIGERATE for 12 to 24 hours.
- Remove your turkey from the brine, rinse and set on a cooking grate to dry.
- Carefully peel back the skin from the bottom of the turkey breast. You should be able to get your whole hand underneath without tearing the skin!
- Cut the butter into small cubes, bruise the sage and carefully lay under the skin and on top of the breast.
- Chop 2 cups of celery, onion and carrots and place on the pan under the turkey (these veggies will add more aroma and flavour to the turkey and your gravy).
- Roast at 375℉ until the skin has become golden and beautiful, and cook until a digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160℉.
- Let cool and carve! Prepare for a juicy, flavorful and delicious turkey!
Notes
To make the gravy:
- Whisk the drippings in a pot over medium heat until bubbling away.
- While whisking add 2 tbsp flour per cup of drippings, whisk enough so there are no lumps, or if there are, pass the gravy through a strainer
- Finish with 2 tbsp of white wine (or apple juice) per 1 cup of gravy