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Honey Rosemary Turkey BrineMakes one 12- 14 lb. bird
- 4 cups water
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup honey
- 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon black peppercorns
- 6 to 8 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 (12- to 14-pound) fresh turkey, neck and giblets removed and reserved (discard liver)
Method:
For the brine, bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add salt, honey, broth, peppercorns and rosemary in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate until needed.
About 6 to 8 hours before you plan to roast your turkey, place brine mixture in a large clean bucket, stock pot or cooler and stir in 1 gallon of ice water. Place turkey in the bucket, breast side down, cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Make sure the turkey is fully submerged, adding more ice water if necessary.
To roast the turkey, preheat oven to 450°F. Remove turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly, inside and out, with cool water; pat dry. Discard brine solution. Season turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff turkey with onion, apple, garlic and rosemary. Place on a roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan and tuck the wings back. Brush the entire turkey with oil.
Cover breast portion with foil and place turkey on lowest rack in oven and roast 30 minutes, then turn heat down to 350°F and roast 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer, until a thermometer reads 165°F when inserted between the breast and thigh without touching the bone. Remove foil from breast about 45 minutes before the turkey is done. Remove turkey from pan, place on a platter and tent with foil. Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving.
