Chef Kiong Banh makes this turkey for the annual Twenty Manning Grill and Audrey Claire staff Thanksgiving feast.
You will need:
1 small turkey (10-12 lbs) whole
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs each of rosemary, sage and thyme
1 lemon
4 tablespoons honey
1 onion
1 carrot
2 celery sticks
The day before you’ll be eating:
Place the small turkey in a large pan, food-safe bucket or large capacity ziptop bag. In a small sauce pan, dissolve the sugar and salt in two cups of water. When completely dissolved, add the bay leaves, rosemary, sage and thyme. Add the seasoned mixture to to five gallons of water and pour over the turkey. Brine the turkey in your refrigerator or an ice-filled cooler overnight.
The next day:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove turkey from brine, rinse it off and pat dry off with paper towels.
While oven is pre-heating, get a medium size roasting pan. Slice one onion, one carrot and two celery sticks. Put them into the pan with olive oil and sauté. Place the sautéed vegetables in a large roasting pan with the turkey so the breast is
facing up. Put turkey into the oven once it is pre-heated for thirty minutes.
Once the turkey is in the oven, combine the juice of one lemon, four tablespoons honey and one cup of water in a small saucepan to create a glaze.
After thirty minutes of roasting, remove turkey from the oven and brush on the honey glaze. Place foil over the breast of the turkey and return to the oven. Let turkey roast in oven for two hours.
After two hours, take the turkey out of the oven and check the temperature by using a thermometer in the leg. The temperature must be 140 degrees. Once it reaches 140 degrees, glaze the turkey again with the honey lemon mixture and put in the oven again for another thirty minutes to brown and crisp the skin.
For best results, Chef Kiong recommends purchasing an organic turkey from a supermarket such as whole foods. Add your own yummy stuffing and cranberry sauce for a complete thanksgiving feast.
