How to Brine and Cook a Turkey
The festive season is upon us once again, and we here at The Marmalade Pantry are absolutely buzzing! Christmas feast preparations may feel daunting, especially once you start thinking about what foods to serve, how to prepare it, what foods your guests like and do not like, and so on and so forth. For most, however, you simply cannot go wrong with a classic turkey done well. The meat should be well-seasoned, and most importantly, still moist, and juicy. We wanted to give you a helping hand this season, so we have gotten one of our chefs to pen down her favourite roast turkey recipe. Read on if you want a delicious Christmas!
Pre-cooking tips & tricks
When choosing a turkey, you roughly want about 500 grams of turkey (raw weight) per guest.
Check if the turkey you bought is pre-brined or seasoned. If it is, skip straight to the roasting steps.
Brining
In its simplest form, brining is done to season the meat throughout the whole turkey, as it allows the salt in the solution to permeate through. Simply salting the surface would leave the inner parts of meat bland. The brine then gives an opportunity to introduce aromatics and spices of your choice, that would leave subtle, lingering nuances.
So here are 2 brine recipes, the first, a simple brine that gets the job done, and the second, one that is loaded with aromatics, right from our very own chefs!
Simple brine
1. 2 gallons of water
2. 250g of salt (about ¾ - 1 cup)
Combine the salt and water and stir till dissolved. Chill the brine before soaking the turkey. Soak the turkey in the brine for anywhere between 16 hours to a maximum of 36 hours. 24 hours would be optimal.
Aromatic brine
1. 2 Gallons of water
2. 250g of salt (about ¾ - 1 cup)
3. ¼ cup of peppercorns (or 3-4 tablespoons)
4. 4 sprigs thyme
5. 4 sprigs rosemary
6. 4 bay leaves (bruise to extract aromas)
7. The peel of 2 large oranges and 2 lemons, in big strips (use a vegetable peeler)
To extract the full flavours and aromas, you would need to combine all ingredients and bring to a boil in a large pot. As soon as it boils, take off the heat, stir, and chill completely. Note that it is crucial for food safety that the brine is chilled completely, before adding the turkey in to soak.
After brining
After your turkey has brined for about a full day, when it is time to roast the turkey, remove it from the brine, and then soak it in fresh water for 15 minutes to balance the salt, and remove excess. This step is crucial, as the surface will be overtly salty otherwise.
Roasting
Ingredients:
1. The thawed turkey
2. 1 whole lemon, halved
3. 1 large onion, halved or quartered
4. A few sprigs of thyme
5. A few sprigs of rosemary
Steps:
1. Pat the turkey skin dry with paper towels. This will let the skin crisp up in the oven and prevent it from being gummy.
2. If you did not brine the turkey and it is not pre-seasoned, then salt the outside, and inside the cavity of the turkey liberally. You might want to use more salt than you think you need, as quite a lot of salt is carried away by the juices during cooking.
3. Have the roasting tray preheating in the oven at 170 C (roughly 338 F). It is crucial to have the roasting tray fully preheated, to reduce the cooking time, and prevent the turkey from being dry.
4. Stuff the turkey cavity with the lemon and onion halves, and sprigs of herbs. This provides a bit of extra flavour and encourages even cooking by propping the turkey up and by creating steam.
5. Carefully place the turkey on the preheated roasting tray, and roast at 170 C for 15 minutes per 500 grams of turkey, until the juices run completely clear. For the usual 6kg turkey, that translates to 3 hours roasting time.
6. Alternatively, if you have a meat thermometer, stick it into the thickest part of the turkey breast to check the temperature periodically, and take the turkey out of the oven when it is at about 71 C (160 F), and loosely cover with aluminium foil. The turkey should continue cooking through the retained heat, until an internal temperature of 74 C (165 F).
7. Rest the turkey for at least half an hour before serving, so the meat can relax and reabsorb some of its juices, giving a more tender result.
Or… Just Order from The Marmalade Pantry!
Successfully roasting a whole turkey from scratch and feeding loved ones is one of the most satisfying things in the world, but it sure can get tedious, tough, and messy! If you’ve made it this far on the page and do not currently have a frozen turkey sitting in the fridge, then consider letting The Marmalade Pantry have your back this festive season!
If you enjoy classic Christmas roasts, then The Marmalade Pantry has just the thing for you in 2021. Enjoy classics like the Maple And Clove Glazed Gammon Ham, Moroccan Roasted Boneless Lamb, and for a bit of an Asian twist, the Charsiew Beef Short Ribs. Enjoy luxuriant festive bundles for feasts for the whole family, like the White Mistletoe, with choice of 1 lamb or beef, 1 side, and a log cake for just $168+.
For dessert, a smorgasbord of log cake flavours await this festive season. From the dazzling assortment of mouthwatering tender roasts such as the Traditional Whole Roasted Turkey With Fresh Herbs and the new Charsiew Beef Short Ribs, to a medley of complementary delights like the Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts and Bacon, and the Christmas Aloha Log Cake – a must-have festive dessert centerpiece.