Maple Brined Turkey Recipe
Maple brine, coriander, citrus, and rosemary create a rich, flavorful turkey with moist meat and golden, crispy skin.
Servings: 6 to 8 people
Ingredients
For the Dry Brine
- ½ cup coarse sea salt
- ¼ cup maple sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground pink peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
For the Roasting Pan
- 1 (12-14 lb) turkey (giblets removed)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 yellow onions (quartered)
- 1 orange (halved)
- 2 lemons (halved)
- 1 cup chopped fresh sage (loosely packed)
- 3 sprigs chopped fresh rosemary
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup water
Instructions
Brine the bird (48 hours in advance).
- Mix all the ingredients for the dry brine together in a small mixing bowl.
- Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey, and reserve them for the gravy. Gently loosen the skin of the bird’s breast and legs with a butter knife, and gently rub the dry brine between the skin and the meat of the bird. Rub the remaining dry brine on the outside of the bird, and inside its cavity.
- Set the bird on a rimmed baking tray that is small enough to fit in your refrigerator. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 24 and up to 48 hours.
Roast the bird.
- Heat the oven to 500 F.
- Brush the bird with a little olive oil, and then arrange the bird in a roasting pan, and stuff its cavity with onions, oranges, lemons, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Arrange any remaining lemons, oranges, or herbs around the bird. Pour in the water.
- Tent the bird loosely with aluminum foil, and then turn down the heat to 425 F, place it in the oven, and roast for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil, turn down the heat to 325F and roast it until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F, about 1 ½ hours longer.
- When the bird reaches an internal temperature of 165 F, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.
