Brining a turkey has long been the best way to prepare a turkey. You can do a dry brine (for the cheat), a regular water-based brine (for the connoisseur), and now I bring you the milk brine. Brining a turkey in milk helps tenderise the meat and permeates the flesh with some of the milk’s sweetness that we love. Combined with some aromatics, this is the new ultimate way to brine your turkey. The skin does brown a little quicker when cooking, but the meat will remain tender and flavourful. Ingredients 3L milk (whole milk, not skim or low fat) 2/3 cup caster sugar 2/3 cup salt flakes 4 bay leaves 1 tbs whole peppercorns, toasted 1 tbs coriander seeds, toasted 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 4kg whole turkey 2 tsp oil (we used olive oil) 1 XL oven bag or other non-reactive bag 2 onions, quartered 1 lemon, quartered 1 head garlic, halved 2 cups chicken stock 1 tbs plain flour mixed with 2 tbs water
It's all about the brine