Turkey prep and gravy tips, because the sound of typing makes me seem busy...

[The Polack MSgt]

Hi everybody. I'm at my place of employment manning the phones and answering emails because:
1. I'm not traveling this Thanksgiving and
2. I'm not entertaining either.
Since there's no need for me to burn any PTO, I get to answer the phones and or emails today and tomorrow.

Except nobody is around in all the other departments either - so I am bored.

Here's a bit of background, I am the designated turkey and gravy guy in my social circle and have been for several years.

I do all the turkeys for the office potlucks, my VFW post's thanksgiving meals, Holidays at the Vet rehab facility and my family's Thanksgiving/Christmas dinners.

I have a system that yields moist meat and plenty of drippings for gravy and I have all this time behind a keyboard available to share it.

Bottom Line Up Front:
I brine the bird for at least 12 hours in a luke warm brine with equal amounts of kosher or sea salt, white sugar and some spices.

Here's how.

1st of all, do not use iodized table salt, it makes the turkey bitter. There is a reason I list this first...

For a 16-18 pound bird I use a medium sized Igloo cooler that is scrupulously clean, (a new 5 gallon bucket would also work for a bird up to 20-ish pounds).
All my amounts are tailored to that size container. Use your judgment on amounts needed for you bird, but you don't need to be super precise, the meat will only soak up as much as it will.

You can't really over season unless you soak the bird in a salt & sugar syrup.

Here we go:

In a stock pot combine 1.25 cups each kosher salt and white sugar
1 generous tablespoon of whole peppercorns (I use black only, I tried the medley and couldn't taste a difference)
2 bay leaves
4 medium cloves garlic peeled and cracked - not smashed or minced - just pressed enough to break open. This makes it easier to remove before baking. Burnt garlic bits stuck to the turkey is no bueno.
In a linen spice bag, a piece of cheesecloth or any such like, put generous pinches of Rosemary, Savory Leaves and Sage or any other herb of your choosing
fill to 75% full with water and bring to a boil - stirring until salt and sugar are fully dissolved
reduce heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes

Check your defrosted turkey for pin feathers and remove giblet bag and neck.

Add the brine to enough COLD water to completely submerge the bird. Do not put the bird in hot brine. That will mess up the skin.

Put the turkey into the brine making sure the cavity fills up

Leave submerged at least 6 hours, though I usually leave it overnight.

The chemical process of brining pushes liquid into the meat as long as the sodium level is significantly different between the meat and the brine, as they approach equilibrium it stops.

So you can't really over brine it, and since salt and sugar are antibacterial, spoilage isn't an issue either (within reason - don't leave it for days or anything)

I always use a covered roaster in an oven preheated top 350.

I just put the bird in the oven and leave it for 75% of the recommended cooking time, then I uncover the roaster and raise the temp to 380.
after 45 minutes (or so) uncovered, I mix melted butter with a splash of soy sauce and paint the bird with it

Leave uncovered and let cook an additional 10-20 minutes to set the color and crisp the skin

Pull the bird and let rest in a serving tray, tented with foil

Place roaster full of drippings on the stove top and bring to a boil

In a separate pan make a simple roux with butter and flour then thin with drippings half cup at a time until it's pour-able

when the dripping in the roaster have reduced by half combine with roux.

There were already herbs, salt and pepper in the drippings so check 1st before seasoning, but I add savory and white pepper to the gravy to boost the flavor.

Happy Thanksgiving