How to brine your turkey (and why you should bother)

Name: How to brine your turkey (and why you should bother)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 225 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 5.5kg turkey; 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil; 1 each onion, orange, lemon, quartered; 50g unsalted butter, melted; 2 tbs mixed peppercorns; 1 tbs coriander seeds; 4 dried bay leaves; 1 cinnamon quill; ½ cup (110g) salt flakes; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; ¼ cup (60g) brown sugar; Finely grated zest of 3 oranges; Finely grated zest of 3 lemons

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by Warren Mendes

delicious. team

Dec 15, 2023

It’s a very sad fact that every year there are dry and overcooked turkeys consumed on Christmas day. One way to get around it is to brine your turkey - leaving it to bathe in a salted water solution for a day or two. However this doesn’t guarantee a succulent roast, takes up plenty of fridge space and is time consuming. A second option, the dry brine – or quick curing – gives a brilliant result and is MUCH easier. A spiced sugar and salt concoction is rubbed in and around the turkey as a concentrated brine to inject flavour, season and tenderise the meat. It may be called a dry-brine, but the result is anything but. Trust me, you will be a convert and will avoid the desert-dry breast you would otherwise carve on Christmas day.

5.5kg turkey
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 each onion, orange, lemon, quartered
50g unsalted butter, melted

Dry brine

2 tbs mixed peppercorns
1 tbs coriander seeds
4 dried bay leaves
1 cinnamon quill
½ cup (110g) salt flakes
4 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ cup (60g) brown sugar
Finely grated zest of 3 oranges
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons

Method

1.

Begin this recipe 1 day ahead. The turkey needs to be brined for 16 hours.
2.

For the dry brine, place the peppercorns and coriander seeds in a small dry frypan over medium-high heat and toast for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle with bay leaves and cinnamon quill, and lightly crush to a coarse rub. Combine with the salt, garlic, sugar and zest.
3.

Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towel. Carefully run your hand under turkey breasts and thighs to loosen skin, being careful not to tear skin. Rub dry brine onto breasts and thighs under skin, spreading evenly, then rub remaining brine all over the turkey and a little in the cavity.
4.

Place on a wire rack set over a tray (the turkey will leach some liquid) and chill for up to 16 hours.
5.

The next day, rinse the turkey well under cold running water, so there is no dry brine on the turkey or under the skin. Pat dry with paper towel and set aside for 1 hour to come to room temperature.
6.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place onion, orange and lemon into the cavity of the turkey, then tie the legs together with kitchen string. Tuck in the wings and place the turkey on a wire rack set in a large roasting pan or deep baking tray and add 1 cup (250ml) water to the pan. Brush turkey all over with olive oil.
7.

Roast for 30 minutes or until slightly golden then reduce oven to 160°C. Roast for a further 2½ - 3 hours, basting often with pan juices and brushing with butter every 15 minutes for the final 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 75°C on a kitchen thermometer when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced (or when the juices run clear when pierced). If browning too quickly, cover with foil. Remove from the oven. Rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 30 minutes before serving.