Wine Turkey Brine (This recipe is for a 16lb. bird)
Ingredients:
r 8 – 375mL bottles white cooking wine (or the equivalent)
r 1 c. sugar
r 8 tsp. white peppercorns
r 24 bay leaves
r 1 c. kosher salt
r 4 celery stalks, remove butt and cut into thirds
r 2 onions, quarter
r 40 cloves of garlic, peeled
r 12 parsley stems
r 4 sprigs of thyme
r 1 g. water (this measurement is not exact/can fluctuate depending)
Directions:
1. In a large stock pot, add all ingredients with the exception of the water. Bring to a boil. (I suggest a lid as the peppercorns can put off a very strong odor.)
2. Once the celery and onions appear translucent, remove from stove top and allow to cool.
3. On day/night of brine-ing, add the water and submerge your turkey. Allow to sit overnight in the refrigerator.
Tips:
-I have used a large stockpot to soak our bird. However, a heavy duty bag can also do the trick. They key is to get as much of the bird covered in liquid as possible. We've even gone as far as lining a laundry basket with double trash bags (unscented, of course), you'd just need to be able to fit it into a refrigerator.
-Prepare this recipe in advance, you'll need it to cool before using. I will often make it on Tuesday night for soaking overnight on Wednesday.
-After the bird has soaked, remove it from the brine and cook. As a bonus, you can pour off the liquid by lining a colander with a cheese cloth and using it to catch the solids. If you are not stuffing your bird with dressing, you can tie off the cheese cloth into a ball and pack it into the neck cavity for additional flavor.
-We roast our bird breast down for the first hour and then flip it right side up for the remainder of time.
-We also put wine/broth in the pan (for basting) and elevate the bird.
