Turkey preparation and preservation

By NADINE MAY LEWIS
Published: November 28, 2010

Two days before cooking thaw out the bird.

The day before cooking brine the turkey. This consists of soaking the bird overnight in brine.

Brine recipe: boil 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of salt
peppercorns, Cinnamon stick, bay leaves, lemon and or orange zest
cardamom pods, ginger, and garlic and any other spices you want.

Let the brine cool in a bucket, before putting the bird into it

The day of cooking:
Remove the bird from the brine and dry it. Reserve some of the brine for basting.

Set up the roasting pan:
Line bottom of the pan with celery, carrots, potatoes, onion, brussel sprouts and garlic

Fill the bird with: apple, lemon, onion, garlic, sage and rosemary

Between skin and meat put: butter creamed with maple, Cinnamon and nutmeg

Cook the bird at 400 degrees for the first half an hour then cover with tin foil and reduce heat to 350 degrees.

Baste the bird with the reserved brine.

Cook until the center has reached 175 degrees (approximately 15 minutes per 5 pounds)

Remove the tin foil from breast during the last hour of cooking

The day after: Making stock

Pick the carcass clean of meat, place the bones in crock pot with a whole onion, carrots and celery and cover with water

Keep boiling on high until the bones crumble under a potato masher (this may take more then a day, so turn on low if leaving house). Strain the stock.

Left over bone meal makes great cat or dog food

Once the stock has cooled it can be frozen in ice cube trays for easy use.