Brining a turkey
All of you turkey lovers are going to find this offensive, but it is true, turkey is a bland and boring bird and can use all the help it can get. I threw in all my best tips, tricks and techniques for livening up your holiday turkey meal into this recipe.
If you have never had a brined turkey you will be amazed at the difference it makes, in fact it makes it so much better that before I had a brined turkey made for me I would have told you that I don’t like turkey. It is often dry, bland and boring, but with a good brine it is an absolute treat. There are so many flavors you can pull into the meat with a brine, a basic brine like this will add a little flavor and lots of moisture, but you can double the herbs if you want to really notice them. You can also add citrus highlights instead of herbs by using juices to add moisture and flavor.
I am going away for the holidays so this sunday I made this for friends and was told that it was the best turkey they had ever had. This is in part because a little smoke will change the turkey from what we are all familiar with to something new and exciting. Also, the brine changes the whole constitution of the bird and leaves it moist and unlike any unbrined turkey you have had. If you are having family for the holidays this is a guarantee for great results with little effort. Served with homemade cranberry sauce, which you may find is the easiest thing you have ever made, this is sure to impress the toughest critics.
