Best combination of ingredients to have a phenomenal moist 'n' tasty turkey. The aroma of these ingredients is absolutely the best holiday smell that will fill your entire house. You can't buy this scent in a candle!
Ingredients
- vegetable broth: 9 cans (14 ounce cans)
- ½ cups chopped candied ginger: 1 piece
- ½ cups dried cherries: 1 piece
- ounces dried pears: 4 piece
- ounces dried apples: 4 piece
- ½ cups brown sugar: 2 piece
- kosher salt: 1 cup
- whole peppercorns: 2 Tbsp
- whole allspice berries: 1 tsp
- cinnamon sticks: 3 piece
- leaves fresh sage: 5 piece
- gallon ice water: 1 piece
- frozen whole turkey, unthawed: 1 piece (15 pound)
- white onion, quartered: 1 piece
- red apple, cored and quartered: 1 piece
- sprig fresh rosemary: 1 piece (to taste)
- cinnamon sticks: 2 piece
- leaf fresh sage: 1 piece (to taste)
- water, or amount to cover: 3 cups
- vegetable oil: 1 Tbsp (or as needed)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Stir the vegetable broth, candied ginger, dried cherries, dried pears, dried apples, brown sugar, kosher salt, black peppercorns, allspice berries, 3 cinnamon sticks, and 5 sage leaves together in a large stockpot until the brown sugar and salt dissolve completely; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
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Remove the brine from heat, add the ice water, and stir to melt ice and chill the brine; refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. Place the still-frozen turkey into the brine and refrigerate for 3 days. On the second day of brining, turn the turkey over in the brine.
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On serving day (the third day of brining), preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the brine and place into a roasting pan. Discard the brine.
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Place the onion, red apple, 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 more cinnamon sticks, and 1 sage leaf into a 5-cup microwave-safe measuring cup and fill the cup with enough water to cover. Place into microwave oven and cook on high power until hot, about 5 minutes. Pour the contents of the cup into the cavity of the turkey. Rub the skin of the turkey with the vegetable oil.
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Roast in the preheated oven until the turkey is golden brown and the juices run clear, 4 to 4 1/2 hours. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should read 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).
