Question about Alton's Good Eats Roast Turkey recipe

[Annette_VA]

For those that have made the Good Eats Roast Turkey recipe...

The recipe says to soak the bird in the brine for 6 hours. Can you do it for longer? I usually start cooking my bird around 10am, so if I'd have to get up at 3am to put it in the brine. Can I just put it in when I go to bed the night before?

It also says to leave the bird in a cool place like a basement. I don't have a basement & I'm afraid my garage would be too warm. Can I just set the bucket in a cooler of ice, or would that be too cold?

I usually do 2 turkeys - one roasted, one fried. Last year, no one touched the oven roasted one, so I want a really good oven roasted turkey this year!

 

[debster812]

We have made AB's brined turkey the past 4 or 5 years. We ALWAYS soak it overnight.

I bet setting the bucket in a cooler partially filled with ice would be just fine.

Good Luck--it's a tad labor intensive, but it is SOOOO good. I mean, so good, it's still moist the next day, cold, for leftovers. No need to drown it in gravy.

Yummy!!!!

 

[Ted and Holly]

You can definitely brine for longer than 6 hours. I brined a roaster chicken in beer (Emeril's recipe) for 24 hours.

Alton probably said to store it in a cool place because it is too large to put in the refridgerator. If you put the container that you are using to brine the turkey in a bucket of ice, that shouldn't be too cold.

What you want to do is keep it cool to avoid issues with spoilage, but keep the brine liquid enough to do its magic.

Ted

 

[ahutton]

YES! DH makes this every year, and we put it in the brine the evening before. It then rests in our fridge overnight (we take some middle shelves out) or in a cooler covered in ice and he starts roasting in the morning. This is the best roasted turkey recipe I've ever had, it is outstanding! Happy Turkey Triangle making!!

 

[Annette_VA]

Originally posted by ahutton
... Happy Turkey Triangle making!!

Thanks for the input, everyone!!