So as not to steal the Thanksgiving Turkey thread, james_woods wrote the following:
Strangely, as an ex-witness I finally admitted to myself that I just really do not like turkey (not Thanksgiving style roasted turkey, anyway)
I must also admit, turkey can be bland. My wife calls it the tofu of poultry. It doesn't have alot of flavor itself but it will absorb flavors if you prepare it properly. I know more and more people are frying their turkeys, but here is a way to roast it and enjoy it year round:
First, you MUST BRINE a turkey. This will add some salt and flavor to the bird. When you roast it, the moisture will be retained and you are much less likely to get a "dry bird."
Get a big pot, and put the fresh or defrosted bird in it. Pour in cold water and measure the amount of cold water needed to just cover the entire turkey. It may take several quarts to a couple of gallons depending on the size of the bird and the size of the pot. Then take the turkey out and put it back into the refrigerator.
Next, for each gallon of water, add 3/4 cup of table salt (some recipes use 1 cup of salt per gallon but I have found 3/4 of a cup is even better). If you stir it in and it doesn't fully dissolve, you may have to heat the water a bit to get it to thououghly dissolve. If you do need to heat it, take it off the stove and let it cool down (or put it outside or in a garage if the weather is cool) when it is done.
Next, be creative. Give it some more flavor. Some herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, etc, etc.) should be added. If the herbs are fresh, you can add then to the center cavity of the bird later. A few chicken or vegetable boullion cubes dissolved in some hot water work really well. An onion or two chopped in quarters works well, as does a green pepper. And I usually cut a couple of jalepeno peppers in half to give it just a hint of a kick. I also usually add a couple packets of "sazon" to the mix (available in the Latin/Mexican section of your supermarket under brand names Goya, Knorr, etc.) Let me just put it this way, the more creative you are, the more interesting the turkey will be.
Finally, figure on brining the bird for an hour per pound. Therefore, if you have a 15 pound turkey and you want to start cooking it at noon time on Sunday, start the brining about 9PM or so on Saturday night. Start the process early in the morning on the same day for a smaller 8-10 pound turkey. Do not over-brine your turkey, especially smaller ones.
Put the turkey in the pot, pour over the cold brine solution and you are done. Just make sure the brine is COLD when you begin. Put it in the refrigerator if you have room for the pot or put it in a cold area if it is winter. Whatever the case, it must be kept cold.
When it is done, take the turkey out of the brine, rinse it off good, dry it with some paper towels and give it a good rubbing of olive (or vegetable) oil. Then just follow the standard cooking times listed on the package. That's it!
Just remember, don't overcook it. And don't think it is not done if you poke it and juice comes out. It will retain most of the juice and flavor of the bird. The pop-up timers are OK, but I just use an instant-read thermometer to confirm it is done. Again, do not overcook it!
Another note, do not stuff a brined turkey. You want the surface-area salt to run off and not absorb into stuffing.
Also, do not add any salt without first tasting it. If you brine it as suggested above, it should taste just fine from the oven. Just let it sit for at least 15-20 minutes before carving it so it retains its juices.
Enjoy!!!!!!!!
Rub a Dub
Ne