For Thanksgiving, we have found that a self-brined turkey tastes best for eating but the drippings are salty and make the gravy too salty. Our solution is to cook an un-brined turkey before Thanksgiving and save those drippings to combine with the brined turkey.
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Ingredients
1 20 lb. turkey, thawed and rinsed. Discard organs but keep the neck
1 heavy duty turkey brining bag
2 cups salt
2 quarts water
2 cups brandy
2 cups dark or golden rum
6 stalks fresh sage, chopped roughly
8 stems fresh thyme, chopped roughly
6 stems fresh rosemary, chopped roughly
8 Tbsp. black pepper, crushed in a mortar and pestle
6 stalks celery, chopped roughly (optional)
10 sprigs parsley, chopped roughly (optional)
2 onions, chopped into quarters
Directions
- Brining instructions (this makes the drippings salty)
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil
- Add 2 cups of salt to the boiling water and stir until dissolved
- After the water cools, add 1 cup each of the brandy and rum to the water. Reserve 1 cup each of the brandy and rum for cooking the turkey
- Place the turkey in the brining bag and put in a cooler
- Add the brining liquid and half the herbs and spices to the bagged turkey and seal the brining bag.
- IMPORTANT: Omit the onion for the brining step
- Put some ice in the cooler and close the lid. Put the cooler in a cold place (garage works for us)
- Let the turkey brine for 12-24 hours
- Cooking instructions
- Move the rack in the oven to the second lowest slot to make room for the turkey
- Preheat the oven to 500º F
- Prepare the roasting rack by spraying with cooking spray (like Pam)
- Remove the turkey from the brine and place it thigh side up on the roasting rack (no rinsing)
- Add the remaining rum, brandy, onions, herbs and spices to the turkey cavity
- Cook uncovered at 500º F for 30 minutes
- Reduce the heat to 325º F and flip the turkey over
- Cover the turkey with foil, removing it for the last 60 minutes
- Cook until the temperature reaches 165º F internal at the coolest spot in the turkey (about 10-12 minutes per pound)
- Let rest tented under the foil for 30 minutes before carving