CIDER BRINED TURKEY WITH CINNAMON SPICE

For something a little different this year, consider brining your Holiday Turkey in a rich, delicious mixture of apple cider, soy, and brown spice. This one is bound to be a NEW CLASSIC for your friends and family this year. Thump thump - gobble gobble!

CIDER BRINED TURKEY WITH CINNAMON SPICE

SERVES 8 TO 10 | PREP, COOK TIME: 12 Hours

INGREDIENTS

2 quarts plus 1 cup apple cider

1 cup kosher salt, plus additional

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup light brown sugar

10 whole star anise pods, plus additional

6 garlic cloves, whole

6 1/4”-thick slices ginger, peeled

2 3”-4” cinnamon sticks, plus additional

1 12–14-lb. turkey

3/4 pound unsalted butter (3 sticks), softened

1 bunch fresh rosemary, chopped plus 6 additional whole sprigs

2 cups chicken broth

Freshly ground black pepper

TECHNIQUE

Bring 2 quarts cider, 1 cup salt, and the next 6 ingredients to a boil in a very large (16-qt.) pot, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Let cool to room temperature. Stir in 1 1/2 gallons cold water. Add turkey to brine and press down to submerge. Cover; refrigerate overnight.

Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a large heavy roasting pan and tie legs together with kitchen twine.

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine the remaining 1 cup of cider and 2 cups water in roasting pan. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 sticks of softened butter with chopped rosemary. Slather the entire bird - interior, exterior, and breast below the skin with rosemary-butter.

Roast turkey, breast side up for 30 minutes, cover turkey with 1 cup of chicken broth, then add 1/2 of the remaining stick of butter to the roasting pan. Lower oven to 350° and roast uncovered for another 30 minutes. Then cover turkey again with chicken broth, add the remaining 1/2 stick butter to the roasting pan, cover the turkey with foil and roast for another 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°. Transfer turkey to a platter, let rest for at least 15 minutes and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs before carving