How to cook a brined turkey
Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.
Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
I just received an email from Catherine who picked up her turkey yesterday and swears by the following method. It sounds like it might work well for a brined turkey so I'm going to give it a whirl!
The Ultimate Roast Turkey by Lucy Waverman
I remember when people would get up in the middle of the night to start their turkey roasting for Christmas dinner. 7 or 8 hours cooking was essential for the big bird! It took me years to understand that turkey was not a flaky, shrivelled meat that had to be drowned in gravy to relieve the dryness.
Through lots of turkey testing, I have developed a method for cooking turkey that takes a lot less time and always produces the juiciest bird - no more dried-out breasts and flaky legs.
It's all done using the high-heat roasting and proper timing. High-heat rosting gives a more juicy, tender, crisp-skinned bird and the right timing gives you success every time. Judging by the number of phone calls I get during the holiday season from happy users of this method, it works for everyone!
Roasting a Turkey
Preheat the oven to 400F. Bring the bird to room temperature and truss. Trussing helps the turkey roast more evenly by protecting the breast. It also preserves the shape after cooking and keeps the stuffing from falling out.
Place on a rack over a roasting pan and rub skin with butter, salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes per pound for the first 10lbs and 7 minutes a pound for each succeeding one. Baste every half hour if you remember.
Here's an example. A 14lb turkey will cook in 150 minutes for the first 10lbs and 28 minutes for the last 4lbs, giving a total cooking time of about 3 hours. For stuffing, add an extra pound.
By roasting on a rack, you eneable the air to circulate, cooking the underside as well as the breast. If you find the skin is becoming too brown, brush butter or turkey drippings on cheesecloth or parchment paper and lay it over the skin for the last hour. Never cover with foil. You get a steamed bird.
It is important to let the turkey rest on the carving board for about 20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to retract back into the meat, making carving easier. It also gives you time to finish the gravey and get organized.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
I just received an email from Catherine who picked up her turkey yesterday and swears by the following method. It sounds like it might work well for a brined turkey so I'm going to give it a whirl!
The Ultimate Roast Turkey by Lucy Waverman
I remember when people would get up in the middle of the night to start their turkey roasting for Christmas dinner. 7 or 8 hours cooking was essential for the big bird! It took me years to understand that turkey was not a flaky, shrivelled meat that had to be drowned in gravy to relieve the dryness.
Through lots of turkey testing, I have developed a method for cooking turkey that takes a lot less time and always produces the juiciest bird - no more dried-out breasts and flaky legs.
It's all done using the high-heat roasting and proper timing. High-heat rosting gives a more juicy, tender, crisp-skinned bird and the right timing gives you success every time. Judging by the number of phone calls I get during the holiday season from happy users of this method, it works for everyone!
Roasting a Turkey
Preheat the oven to 400F. Bring the bird to room temperature and truss. Trussing helps the turkey roast more evenly by protecting the breast. It also preserves the shape after cooking and keeps the stuffing from falling out.
Place on a rack over a roasting pan and rub skin with butter, salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes per pound for the first 10lbs and 7 minutes a pound for each succeeding one. Baste every half hour if you remember.
Here's an example. A 14lb turkey will cook in 150 minutes for the first 10lbs and 28 minutes for the last 4lbs, giving a total cooking time of about 3 hours. For stuffing, add an extra pound.
By roasting on a rack, you eneable the air to circulate, cooking the underside as well as the breast. If you find the skin is becoming too brown, brush butter or turkey drippings on cheesecloth or parchment paper and lay it over the skin for the last hour. Never cover with foil. You get a steamed bird.
It is important to let the turkey rest on the carving board for about 20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to retract back into the meat, making carving easier. It also gives you time to finish the gravey and get organized.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
