Cider-Brined Turkey with Star Anise and Cinnamon
12 serving
Ingredients
- 9 c. Sweet Cider
- 1 c. Kosher Salt, plus more
- 1 c. Soy Sauce
- 1/2 c. Light Brown Sugar
- 16 Black Peppercorns
- 8 Star Anise
- 6 clove Garlic
- 6 Green Onions, white parts only, split lengthwise
- 1 1/2 in. Ginger, thickly sliced
- 5 Dried Shiitake
- 8 in. Cinnamon
- 2 sprig Cilantro
- 12 lb. Whole Turkey
- 1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Granny Smith Apples, cut into sixths
- 4 Tbsp. Butter, melted
Instructions
Instructions
Prepare Brine
1.Bring 8 cups cider, salt, soy sauce, sugar, black peppercorns, star anise, garlic, green onion, ginger, dried shiitake, cinnamon, and cilantro to a boil in a large pot, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar.
Stir in 1 1/2 gal. cold water and let cool to room temperature.
Brine Turkey
3.Submerge turkey in brine. Cover and refrigerate 12 hours.
Dress Turkey
4.Remove turkey from brine, pat dry, and discard brine. Season inside and out of turkey with salt and pepper. Place breast-side up on a large roasting pan. Tie legs together with twine and let rest at room temperature 1 hour.
Roast Turkey
5.Preheat oven to 375.F. Combine remaining cider and 3 cups water in the roasting pan. Scatter apples in pan, brush turkey with melted butter, and flip breast-side down.
Roast, basting occasionally, 1 hour.
Flip turkey on pan breast-side up. Continue roasting, basting occasionally, until done, 90 minutes longer.
Final Rest
8.Transfer turkey to platter and let rest 20 minutes before carving.
Make Gravy
10 minutes9.
While turkey rests, strain the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan, reserving apples. Simmer over medium heat until thickened.
Comments
Brined 24 hours without cilantro. Used a 13lb. turkey. Tested the temperature of the thighs 10 minutes before the final 90 minutes had elapsed, and they were over 165.F by at least 5 degrees (some areas of the breast were 190.F). The skin was nicely browned and crisp in places, and he breast meat only slightly over cooked despite the temperature.
Made with an 18.5 lb. turkey, roasted for just over 3 hours. We had to use a full gallon of cider (plus a quart or two of water) to actually submerge the bird (Added an additional 2 cups of salt to compensate for dilution). Towards the end the skin was getting a bit too dark for comfort, so we tented with foil to prevent burning. As usual this results in juicy meat and crispy skin, though I really don't think the apples (which we stuffed inside the cavity) contribute much to the flavor. This year we did not make gravy from the pan drippings, mainly because we used the brine for liquid when cooking, so it would have been much too salty.