To cook a tasty, moist turkey, brine it first. The brine will keep it
moist, deliver seasonings to the meat inside, speed cooking, and even the
cooking time between the breasts and thighs. The basic brine is:

Per gallon of water:
1 cup kosher salt (of 1/2 cup table salt)
1 cup sugar or brown sugar or molasses or corn syrup or maple syrup (i.e.,
your favorite sweetener)
Seasonings you like, e.g., garlic powder, onion powder, sage, chile, etc.

Mix well so that the salt and sugar dissolve

Remove the turkey innards, and immerse the bird in the brine. Use a
non-reactive pot that will fit in your 'fridge, or one of those oven cooking
bags (useless for cooking) that will fit in a pot that will fit in the
'fridge. If the bird/pot won't fit, you can use a cooler - add plenty of
ice to the brine. I have even brined a large turkey in the stainless-steel
kitchen sink, with lots of ice, but I don't recommend it.

Brine a large turkey 24 hours at least; 2 - 3 days is even better.

Here are some other more elaborate brines:

> Hound's Citrus Brine
> 2 gallons water
> 2 cups kosher salt
> 3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
> 1 each juice of 3 oranges
> 1 each juice of 3 limes
> 1 each juice of 3 lemons
> 1 each rinds from oranges, limes and lemon;
> 1 sliced white onion
> 1 head of garlic, crushed
> 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
> 4 serranos to taste
> 2 tbs rough ground cumin
> 2 tbs rough ground coriander
> 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil


> The Fat Man's Chicken Kickin' Brine
> 1 gallons water
> 5/8 cups pickling salt.
> 1 1/2 tbs light brown sugar
> 1 1/2 tbs garlic powder
> 1/2 tbs chili powder
> 1/2 tbs ground sage
> 1 tbs crushed red pepper
> 1/2 tbs fresh black pepper
> 2 whole bay leaves
> 1/2 tbs old bay seasoning
> 1 tbs italian seasoning
>
> Combine all the ingredients in a stock pot. Bring to a boil, turn heat
> down to a simmer. Simmer and stir frequently until all the ingredients
> are dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature before immersing the
> meat.


When you're ready to cook, drain and rinse the bird thoroughly; pat dry. If
you have time and like crispy skin, put the dry bird back in the 'fridge for
a while, uncovered. Season again (no more salt please!) - you won't need
butter or oil under the skin to keep it moist, but if you like the flavor,
by all means. Slices of citrus under the skin, especially with the citrus
brine above, are good.

The best way to roast the bird is in your BBQ with indirect heat: here are
instructions from Sunset Magazine:
On a charcoal barbecue (20 to 22 in. wide) with a lid, mound and ignite 40
charcoal briquets on firegrate. When coals are spotted with gray ash, in
about 20 minutes, push equal portions to opposite sides of firegrate. Place
a foil drip pan between mounds of coals. To each mound, add 5 briquets and
1/2 cup drained soaked wood chips now and every 30 minutes (until all chips
are used). Set grill in place. Set turkey, breast up, on grill over drip
pan. Cover barbecue and open vents.

On a gas barbecue (with at least 11 in. between indirect-heat burners),
place 1 cup drained soaked wood chips in the metal smoking box or in a foil
pan directly on heat in a corner. Turn heat to high, close lid, and heat for
about 10 minutes. Adjust gas for indirect cooking (heat parallel to sides of
bird and not beneath) and set a metal or foil drip pan in center (not over
direct heat). Set grill in place. Set turkey, breast up, on grill over drip
pan. Close barbecue lid. Add another cup of wood chips (sprinkle through or
lift grill) every 30 minutes until all are used. If edges of turkey close to
heat begin to get too dark, slide folded strips of foil between bird and
grill. Fat in drippings may flare when barbecue lid is opened; quench by
pouring a little water into the pan.

If your BBQ or oven will accommodate it, cook your turkey on a vertical
stand, preferably neck down. The vertical stand seems to promote even
cooking, and you get more usable dark meat - the fat drips off instead of
innundating the dark meat.

Here are cooking temps and times recommend by Sunset for unstuffed, unbrined
turkeys - measure the internal temperature _in the breast touching bone_.

TURKEY WEIGHT
WITH GIBLETS OVEN TEMP. INTERNAL TEMP.* COOKING TIME**
10-13 lb. 350° 160° 1 1/2-2 1/4 hr.
14-23 lb. 325° 160° 2-3 hr.
24-27 lb. 325° 160° 3-3 3/4 hr.
28-30 lb. 325° 160° 3 1/2-4 1/2 hr.


You can cook the brined bird at a hotter temperature, say, 375 - 400°, for
crisper skin and more internal juice. Even at the same oven temperature,
the brined bird will cook faster.

After the bird comes out of the BBQ/oven, let it rest 30-45 minutes before
carving - you'll have a juicier result.

Have a great holiday.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"