

Turkey 101
Whether it's your first (or tenth) time hosting Thanksgiving dinner, we're here to help make planning a breeze.
What size Turkey Do I need?
4 GUESTS
8-10 lbs
8 GUESTS
16-18 lbs
6 GUESTS
12-14 lbs
10 GUESTS
20-22 lbs
The Perfect
Roasted
Turkey
For the brine:
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, quartered
1/2 onion, quartered
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil
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2-3 days before roasting, begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
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Combine brine ingredients in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
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Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat, combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. Cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
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Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
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Place bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan, pat dry with paper towels.
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Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add 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.
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Roast the turkey on lowest rack of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 151 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown's "Good Eats"

