Catch ‘em & Cook ‘em: Roast Turkey
Ingredients:
1 turkey
Brine:
1 C salt,
1 C brown sugar
2 Lemons (quartered)
2 Oranges (quartered)
Sprig of rosemary
1 large pot of cold Water
1 stick butter softened
Salt and pepper
How to:
1. Wash the thawed turkey thoroughly in cool water, remove the giblets and neck and save in a plastic bag.
2. In a large non-reactive pot, place the brine ingredients and 3 C of cold water.
3. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved.
4. Add the turkey to the pot and add enough cold water to cover.
5. Leave in the brine overnight.
6. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
7. If stuffing turkey with dressing, stuff the body and neck cavities and spread softened butter over entire turkey and season with salt and pepper.
8. Place in a roasting pan, breast side up, and cover with a tent made of aluminum foil and put into a preheated oven at 350 degrees.
9.Cook for 15 minutes for each pound of turkey or until a meat thermometer reads 170 when inserted into the breast and 185 in the thigh.
10. When it is done, remove the foil and turn oven up to 375 degrees and let the skin on the breast brown.
11. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let stand for 20 minutes before carving. Remove dressing before carving.
If you do not have a pot large enough to brine the turkey, use a plastic cooler. Place the turkey in a plastic bag and place in cooler breast down. Pour the brine into the bag with turkey and tie securely.
Place in cooler. Add 10-pound bag of ice to cooler. Brine overnight the night before you cook the turkey.
Capt. Dick May is the owner of Easy Rider Charters in Bokeelia. He can be reached at 239-283-3247 or EasyRiderCharters.com. “Capt. Dick’s Seafood & Southern Country Cooking” (a new cookbook) can be ordered at www.Amazon.com. Go to Cookbooks then to Food and Wine category. Type in “Capt. Dick’s Seafood and Southern Country Cooking” and click. A picture of the cookbook, price and info for ordering will be displayed.