Has anyone tried a Diestel (Whole Foods "Heirloom turkey?"

Which Alton Brown brine recipe do you use, Mark?

I Googled and found several, one with frozen orange juice concentrate, one with honey and one with candied ginger and light brown sugar.

 
I use this one, Michael, with the candied ginger and brown sugar.

Good Eats Roast Turkey
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
1 (14-16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water

For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves of sage
Canola oil
Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stock pot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5 gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.
A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine. Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil. Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

 
Although I use the salt method to brine...

I roast with the aromatics and use his roasting method it works and it's delicious. I use a maple glaze to finish the turkey.

 
and Penzy's, us girls in the family share orders. We use whole allspice in our turkey dressing and

apple cider too so I always have some in the house.. Mmmm. Stuffing!

 
I used apple juice and white wine instead, to me veggie broth is icky unless you make it yourself

but why do it???? I'd rather use the veggies for a soup! Anyway, it tasted great, the brine that is..

 
I use the Zuni Cafe dry brine method for chickens all of the time, a day or two before roasting you

sprinkle the chicken with kosher salt, 1 tsp per pound. It's amazing how succulent the breast meat gets this way... CHICKen!!!!!

 
Heather, my cookobook group did the Zuni book and I had that chicken, you're right...it's amazing!

I didn't make the dish myself so I forgot what all was involved. I'll have to give it a whirl. Thanks!

 
I love the Chez Panisse recipe - I've used it several times with great

results - even with a "regular" market bird.

 
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