Alton Brown – Serves 6 to 8

I am not the biggest fan of the traditional Thanksgiving turkey. It is often dry and flavorless, leaving me wondering why it even makes it onto the table. For me, it is all about the sides and fond memories of my grandmother’s sweet potato pie. 

There is one good reason to keep making that big old bird, and that is the next day’s turkey sandwich. There is nothing better than a turkey sandwich served on sourdough bread, smothered with cranberry sauce and sweet pickle relish. Sadly, to get there, you have to trudge through the dinner prep of a thousand hours. 

So if you are going to commit to cooking all day, you might as well make the best-tasting turkey possible. First and foremost, you need to embrace the brine. Sure, it takes extra time, but the juicy white and dark meats are totally worth it. One could argue that it saves time in the long run because you don’t have to spend time basting the bird, leaving you to focus on those wonderful side dishes. 

So here’s to sweet potato pie for breakfast and turkey sandwiches for lunch with hopes of a moist, flavorful fowl on Thanksgiving Day. 

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 1 Young turkey (14 to 16 pounds)
• For the brine
• 1 C Kosher salt
• ½ C Light brown sugar
• 1 gal Vegetable stock (4 cardboard boxes if you use Trader Joe’s brand)
• 1 T Black peppercorns
• 1 ½ t Allspice berries
• 1 ½ t Chopped candied ginger
• 1 gal Heavily iced water

For the aromatics

• 1 Red apple, sliced
• ½ Onion, sliced
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1 C Water
• 4 Sprigs of rosemary
• 6 Leaves sage
• Canola oil

Directions

• 2 to 3 days before roasting
• Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F. 
• Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. 
• The night before you’d like to eat, combine the brine, water, and ice in the five-gallon container or ice chest. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and store in a cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once halfway through brining.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. 
• Remove the bird from the brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine. 
• Place the bird on a roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels. 
• Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and one cup of water in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for five minutes. Add the steeped aromatics to the turkey’s cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil. 
• Roast the turkey on the lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. 
• Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. 
• Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. 
• A 14 to 16-pound bird should require between two hours and two and a half hours of roasting. 
• Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl, for 15 minutes before carving.