Ingredients
- FOR THE BRINE:
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 gallon vegetable stock
- 1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp. allspice berries
- 1/2 tsp. candied ginger
- 1 gallon iced water
- FOR THE AROMATICS:
- 1 red apple, sliced
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 6 sage leaves
- canola oil
- 1 14 - 16 lb. fresh turkey
Preparation
Step 1
combine all of the brine ingredients except for the ice water, in a stock pot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until throroughly 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 the turkey breast-side down in the brine; cover and refrigerate or set in a cool area, for 6 hours. Turn the turkey once, halfway through brining.
A few minutes before roasting, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. BE SURE THE OVEN IS SPOTLESS, OR IT WILL SMOKE.
Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick and cup of water in a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Remove the bird from the brine and rinse thouroughly with cold water. Discard the brine.
Place the bird on a roasting rack inside a wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add the steeped aromatics to the cavity, along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck back the wings and coat the whole bird with canola oil.
Roast on the lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover the breast with a double layer of aluminum foil. if you have one, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, and return to the oven, reducing the temperature to 350 degrees. Set the thermometer alarm to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 lb. turkey should take from 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving.