Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

Brine

· 1 Cup salt

· 1 Cup brown sugar

· 2 Oranges, quartered

· 2 Lemons, quartered

· 6 Sprigs of thyme

· 2 Bay leaves

· 3 Whole cloves

· 1/2 Tsp black peppercorns, crushed

· 1 Tsp whole allspice berries, crushed

· 4 Cups apple cider or juice

· 1 3/4 Gallons of water

Glaze

· 3 Tbsp butter

· 1 (12 oz bag) Cranberries

· 1/2 Cup maple syrup

· 3/4 Cup cranberry juice

· 2 Tsp apple cider vinegar

· 1/4 Cup brown sugar

· 1 Tsp Salt

· 1 Tsp ground black pepper

· 1 Tbsp lemon zest

· 1 Tsp cinnamon

Turkey

· 12-15 lb. Turkey

· 1 Large orange, cut into 1/8ths

· 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

· Salt & pepper

· 1 Large yellow onion, cut into 1/8ths

· 1 Celery stalk, cut into inch long pieces

· 1 Large carrot, cut into inch long pieces

· 2 Bay leaves

· 2 Sprigs thyme

· 3-4 Sprigs parsley

Preparation

Brine:

Dissolve salt and sugar in water and apple cider, and put in a container that will fit the turkey.

Add the rest of the brine ingredients to the container

Remove the neck giblets and liver from the cavity of the turkey, set aside if you plan to make gravy.

Soak the turkey in the brine and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Make sure your turkey is mostly thawed before brining

Note: if you have a bigger bird and need more brine, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every extra gallon of water.

Glaze:

Combine all glaze ingredients into a medium saucepan and place it over medium-high heat. Bring to boil then reduce to medium-low heat.

Let simmer until the cranberries burst, about 8-10 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a sieve and let cool.

Turkey:

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Remove turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels both inside and out

Place turkey (breast side up) in a large, heavy roasting pan. Rub all sides of the turkey with softened butter, stuffing some of it under the skin.

Season entire bird with salt & pepper inside and out. Stuff the turkey with orange slices, onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme and parsley.

Loosely tie drumsticks together with a kitchen string. Roast the turkey uncovered (breast side down) in the oven for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, turn turkey over, and baste with some of the glaze. Continue roasting (breast side up) until the thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the largest section of the thigh-- avoid touching the bone.

Total cooking time for the turkey will take around 2 3/4 - 3 hours, depending on the size of the bird.

While cooking, baste your turkey with extra glaze once every 1/2 hour.

Once it is cooked, remove turkey from oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.