Thanksgiving is coming, and all the accompaniments that you traditionally find with the iconic meal of the day are out on fully display at every grocery store. Cranberry, potatoes, stuffing, gravy, greenbean casseroles, pecan pies, pumpkin galore and more are flooding the shelves - and I might say there are some good deals to be had! So if you happen to like this kind of food, it might be time to stock up on a few extras too!

The Centerpiece of Thanksgiving - Turkey

Turkey is the traditional centerpiece of most Thanksgiving holiday meals, however some prefer other meats like ham, and I've even heard baked or rack of lamb, beef roasts and other meats as go-to traditions. If yours happens to be turkey, then you have a variety of ways you can prepare it these days. Related: Creamy & Savory Pumpkin Soup Recipe

• Deep fried. You need a deep fryer with enough capacity for a large turkey to try this method out, however the results can be really tasty, especially if you inject or brine your turkey ahead of time. This method definitely seals in the juices but it takes a lot of oil and some ahead of time prep too.  Plus you need to keep a bulky frier on hand, so it may not be ideal for everyone unless you enjoy using your frier for other things during the year. You also won't get the makings for home made gravy with this method (ie the drippings).
• Baked on the grill. Some people swear by this method, although I've never tried it myself. You simply cook your turkey out on your outdoor grill. It results in a smokier flavor.
• Baked in the oven in a bag. Many use a baking bag to put their turkey in to help seal in the moisture and cook more evenly.
• Brined and oven-baked. That's the recipe we're going to share here!

Brining Your Turkey with This Recipe is Almost Fool Proof

I have been making my turkeys this way for a very long time. We make a turkey a couple times a year, since they go on sale for an unbeatable price around the holiday, it's a good inexpensive protein you can cook up for dinner even if it's not for a Thanksgiving meal.  I got the original idea for the recipe from my grandmother (a really great cook) who always prepared her turkey this way. 

She and my uncle (a very good cook also) told me that it's very important to use kosher salt in this recipe. You could use normal table salt or sea salt, however it really does turn out best with kosher salt. The problem I've found since the pandemic is that kosher salt sells out quite frequently at the stores, so I actually buy several boxes of it when it's in stock. 

I use Morton Kosher salt in the 3 pound box. It lasts me a couple of brinings, and since I also brine my roasted chicken, I do go through several boxes a year. This recipe is virtually fool proof. I've only had one turkey turn out "meh" with this recipe, and it was only due to the turkey itself being oddly devoid of a lot of meat. We must have gotten a bad one, because we barely got any meat off of it and it was just very lean, bony and fatty.

Brining is super simple, and although it takes some forethought and one accessory, once you have that accessory, you can use it to brine other large meats too.  

Here are the Tools and the Recipe You Need to Brine Your Turkey

• If frozen, thaw your turkey out in the fridge for a good 4 days, if still rock solid, take it out during the day when you can keep an eye on it until it softens
• You will need to prepare your brine per below the night before you're going to cook your turkey
• You will brine your turkey in this solution overnight, and it's ok if it sits in the brine for a few hours the next day too. Especially if it's a large turkey, the longer the better but no more than overnight plus a few hours the next day before cooking.
• 5 gallon bucket. You can get these at any Home Depot or Lowes
• 40 cups warm water
• 3 cups kosher salt*
• Optional spices. If you want to add a little more flavor to your recipe, you can add spices like thyme, rosemary, sage. and other savory style herbs to the mix. I tend to keep mine pretty plain but I have used rosemary in the past and it added a nice touch of flavor.
• Mix all of these ingredients up in your 5 gallon bucket with a long wooden spoon until dissolved
• Submerge your turkey completely in the brine solution once the warmth has cooled to room temperature. Be sure to remove the neck and any packages of giblets or other fixings from inside the cavity of the turkey.
• Store the turkey overnight in a cold location like the the basement or the garage. If too warm, you can always try to clear a lot of space in a fridge by taking shelves out
• Take the turkey out of the brine the next day before cooking. Rinse and pat dry.
• Bake in the over at 325 degrees following directions for stuffed or unstuffed turkey by the pound found on your turkey's packaging or several places online also offer recommendations for cooking by the pound. I like to tent foil over my turkey for the first couple hours then remove it for about the last hour to give if that golden brown hue. I also like to put rosemary leaves over the turkey and a couple pats of butter. Your kitchen will smell great!

Once you've tried this simple but effective recipe, you may never go back to another!

*Why kosher? Kosher salt is very pure, it does not have any anti-cake agents nor any iodine or other additives found in common table salt. It dissolved really well in the water, and imparts a pure briny flavor to your turkey unlike any other type of salt because of this purity.  I actually feel it infuses into the meat better too, because I tried normal table salt once many years ago and it was just not the same tenderness or flavor kosher salt lends. Related: Iodine and Thyroid Function

Happy Thanksgiving and Good Luck!