Wonderful Thanksgiving Memories

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving week! The food was awesome. The company was terrific. The time to relax and enjoy the moment was priceless. I couldn’t ask for a better day/week.

I’m not normally a turkey kind of girl (hahaha, no laughing out there!). With this being the entre’ of choice for the majority of the family, I was fine with eating sides, vegies and deserts. Until I tasted my sister-in-law’s Brined Turkey recipe.

O! M! G! I have never tasted turkey this good with this much flavor. Every piece had a salty, maple, honey, cloves, etc, taste to it. This turkey was awesome. Enough so that I was even looking forward to eating it for leftovers. I believe she said she got the recipe from watching Wolfgang Puck’s cooking show, so I’m not giving away any big secrets by sharing it here with all of you.

I hope each of you had as good a week as I did. I was NOT ready to start back to work today, but with Christmas sneaking up on us fast, I needed to get started on making some money for presents… and maybe even another Brined Roast Turkey!

Enjoy!

Brined Roast Turkey

1 gallon water

12 Bay leaves

1/2 oz ground cloves

1 pound of Salt

1/2 oz ground ginger

24 oz Honey

4 oz cracked black peppercorns

24 oz Maple Syrup (the real stuff!)

In a large stock pot, bring the water, cloves, ginger, peppercorns bay leaves and salt to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, and stir in the honey and maple syrup until blended.

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

To Roast the Turkey:

1 Stick of butter

2 tsp. chopped garlic

1 tsp. Rosemary

2 tsp. Sage

2 Apples-cored & quartered

1 Onion- peeled & quartered

Olive Oil

1 Cup chopped carrots, celery & onion

Salt & Pepper

Rinse the turkey inside & out with cold tap water after it’s thawed. Place the turkey into the brine, & make sure it’s fully covered with the brine liquid. Soak overnight in the fridge. Remove turkey; drain all the brine from the cavity.

Preheat oven to 325

In a shallow roasting pan, place the celery, carrots & onions. Rub butter under the skin of the turkey. Insert the apples, quartered onions, rosemary & sage into the cavity of the turkey. Truss wings & legs to keep them in place during roasting. Rub the entire turkey with olive oil, salt & pepper. Place the turkey on the vegetables, breast side down. Roast at 325 for 75 minutes, then turn turkey breast side up for the remaining 75 minutes, or until meat thermometer inserted into the breast reads 165 degrees. If the skin begins to get too dark, tent with foil.