Books > Joy of Cooking > Excerpts

Roast Brined Turkey

10 to 25 servings

Remove the giblets and neck from:

1 turkey (10 to 25 pounds)

Combine in a plastic or nonreactive container large enough to hold the turkey and stir until the salt dissolves:

2 cups table salt or 4 cups kosher salt

2 gallons water

Submerge the turkey in the brine and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Position a rack at the lowest level of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove the turkey from the brine. Thoroughly rinse inside and out, then pat the skin and both cavities dry. Place in the cavity:

1 onion, peeled and quartered

1 carrot, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 small rib celery, cut into 1-inch chunks

(1 teaspoon dried thyme or 8 sprigs fresh thyme)

There is no need to close the cavities. Truss, if desired.

Brush the turkey skin all over with:

4 to 6 tablespoons (1Ú 2 to 3Ú 4 stick) butter, melted

Place breast-side down on a V rack in a roasting pan, or prop it up with crumpled aluminum foil. Pour 3Ú 4 cup water into the roasting pan. Roast for 2 hours if it weighs 18 pounds or less, 21Ú 2 hours if it weighs between 18 and 21 pounds, or 3 hours if it weighs more than 21 pounds.

Baste the back and legs once or twice with:

2 to 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Remove the turkey from the oven. Wearing heat-resistant mitts or protecting your hand with paper towels, grasp the turkey at both ends and turn breast side up. Return the turkey to the oven and roast, basting once or twice with the pan drippings, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 170°F, 30 to 90 minutes more, depending on the turkey's size. If the turkey approaches doneness before the breast has browned, increase the oven temperature to 400°F for the last 5 to 10 minutes of roasting. Remove the turkey to a platter and let stand for 20 to 40 minutes before carving. Serve with gravy.