Roasted Brined Turkey with Fennel-Herb Stuffing
- 1 fresh (or defrosted frozen) 15-pound turkey
- 2 gallons water
- 2 cups kosher salt
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 10 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
- 1 cup chopped fresh sage
- 4 celery stalks, peeled and chopped into ½-inch dice
- 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed of stalks and tough outer layers, cut lengthwise in half, cored, and chopped into ½-inch dice
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cups ½-inch cubes rustic white bread, lightly toasted
- ¼ cup chopped fresh sage 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- About 1½ cups apple cider
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- cup dry Madeira or dry sherry
- 3 cups Chicken (or turkey) Stock or 6 cups high-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth, reduced to 3 cups
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
I like to save enough for a few days of sandwiches and maybe a risotto or pasta dish. The rest goes into soup—stuffing and all—and I then freeze the soup.
- To prepare the turkey, remove the bag of organs from its cavity. Set aside for another use. Rinse the turkey thoroughly and pat dry.
- To make the brine, mix 8 cups of the water with the remaining brine ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to your clean bringing bucket, add the remaining 1½ gallons water, and let cool completely.
- Immerse the turkey in the bringing solution. Cover. Put the bucket into the refrigerator or a cool place for 10 to 12 hours.
- To make the suffing, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, add the onions, celery, and fennel and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it just releases its aroma, about a minute. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the cooked vegetables with the remaining stuffing ingredients except the cider in a large bowl. Toss well. Then add only enough cider so the stuffing is moist, but not soggy. Taste and season if necessary. Remember the turkey will be brined, so be careful not to oversalt the stuffing.
- To make the basting butter, melt a stick of butter in a small saucepan with the bay leaves and fennel seeds. Remove from the heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, pour into a small container, and chill until firm. (You can do this up to 48 hours ahead and reheat.)
- To roast the turkey, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well. Dry well inside and out. Do not salt, but season with pepper if desired.
- Fill the turkey cavity loosely with the stuffing, then sew up the cavity. Do not truss the legs together—although a turkey with its legs tied looks neater, the meat of the inner legs and thighs tends to cook more slowly than the breast if it is trussed. Brush the bird all over with the bay butter. Set breast side down on a buttered rack in a roasting pan.
- Roast for 2 hours. After 2 hours, flip the bird so the breast is up. Roast for an additional hour. Baste with bay butter every 30 minutes throughout the roasting time.
- Increase the heat to 400°F and roast until the skin is crisp and brown and the bird is done: the juices should run clear when the thigh is pierced at the thickest point, and an instant-read digital thermometer inserted at that point should register 165°F. Transfer to a platter for 30 minutes before carving.
- Meanwhile, make the gravy: Pour off all but ¼ cup of fat from the roasting pan. Be careful not to pour off the caramelized drippings. Put the pan on top of the stove over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour into the pan.
- Using the back of a slotted spoon, stir the flour about the pan, scraping the crispy bits of drippings loose. Cook until the flour starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the Madeira and continue stirring until it thickens. Add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
- Scoop the stuffing out of the turkey into a serving bowl. Present the turkey at the table, along with the stuffing and gravy, then carve. I like to return to the kitchen for the business of carving, especially since I prefer removing the breast whole, then cutting it into crosswise slices. I also slice the meat off the drumsticks. Arrange the meat on the platter and serve.