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Juicy Turkey
Ingredients
1 (14 to 16 lb) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup light brown sugar
1 gal (3.78L) vegetable stock
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 ½ tsp allspice berries
1 ½ tsp chopped candied ginger
1 gal (3.78L) heavily iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
½ onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil
Prep
2 to 3 days before roasting
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38°F.
Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.
Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil.
Remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
8 to 16 hours before roasting
Combine the brine, water and ice in a minimum 5-gallon cooler.
Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine.
If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed.
Cover and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
Cook
Preheat the oven to 500°F.
Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage.
Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500°F for 30 minutes.
Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161°F.
A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2½ hours of roasting.
Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.
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