Roast Turkey
by Alton Brown
![Roast Turkey](images/roast_turkey_01.jpg)
prep6 hrs total time15 hrs servings16 calories733 addedSeptember 2018
Turkey
- 16 pounds turkey
Brine
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 gallon vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- ½ tablespoon allspice berries
- ½ tablespoon candied ginger
- 1 gallon ice water
- Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stock pot and bring to a boil.
- Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
- Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5 gallon bucket.
- Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours.
- Turn turkey over once, half-way through brining.
Final Assembly
- 1 red apples, sliced
- ½ onions, sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup water
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 6 leaves sage
- canola oil
- A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500°F.
- Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
- Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water.
- Discard brine.
- Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels.
- Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage.
- Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.
- Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500°F for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350°F.
- Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161°F.
- A 14-16 pound bird should require a total of 2-2½ hours of roasting.
- Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.
Nutrition
calories733 total fat36.4g cholesterol308.7mg total carbohydrates1.8g protein92.7g sodium295.8mg