What's the secret to succulent turkey? Chef Kelly Gaddis shares his favorite recipe

December 5, 4:32 PMSeattle Food ExaminerTraca Savadogo

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Seattle Food Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Imagine a turkey so moist,  the juices trail after your knife and the meat is so flavorful, your family fought over the leftovers. 

If this sounds like the stuff of fantasies, right?  Maybe not.

Chefs have long employed a technique that produces a juicy, flavorful bird.  What's the secret?  Brining, baby!  With a bit of advanced planning, you too can enjoy a memorable Christmas turkey. 

Brining involves soaking your thawed turkey in a salt water spiced solution.  This is where science meets the kitchen.   
 

Give your bird a soak in a salt water spiced solution and osmosis does the rest.  As the Science of Cooking website notes, In brining "water flows out of the cells in the meat and salt flows in.  The salt then dissolves some of the fiber proteins, and the meat's cell fluids become more concentrated, thus, drawing water back in."  As a result, water gets trapped in the tissues during the cooking process.  Create a salt water solution with herbs and aromatics and as the salt penetrates the flesh...it brings all that good flavor with it.

A chat with McCaw Hall's Executive Chef, Kelly Gaddis resulted in a dip into his files for his personal "Best Bird Brine" recipe.  He took a moment between Nutcracker performances to share the recipe with us.


Chef Kelly Gaddis' Best Bird Brined Turkey 

6 cups of sugar
7 3/4 cups of Kosher salt
16 juniper berries, crushed
18 cloves
24 peppercorns, crushed
9 bay leaves
16 sprigs rosemary, fresh
skin of 6 lemons 
3 gallons of water

Add all the ingredients to a large pot over high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Once the salt and sugar are incorporated, remove from the heat and let the brine cool.

Once the solution is cool, add your turkey to the brine and allow to soak for 12 hours.


Cooking Brined Turkey

Place oven rack in the lowest position and preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Rub turkey all over with soften butter but do not season -- it has already been brined.  Tightly cover breast area with foil, leaving wings, thighs and drumsticks exposed.

Transfer gizzard, heart, neck to roasting pan around neck. Pour 2 cups of stock into the pan.

Roast turkey 45 minutes.  Baste with pan juices (lift foil up to reach breast area) and continue roasting, basting every 45 minutes, 1 1/2 hours more (2 1/4 hours total.) Baste again and, if pan juices have evaporated into glaze, add 1 cup of stock to pan.  Roast another 45 minutes (3 hours total). Remove foil from breast area, baste, and add stock if necessary until instant thermometer inserted in fleshy part of the thigh (close to, but not touching bone) registers 170 degrees, about 1 hour more (4 hours total).

Cover and keep warm.  Transfer turkey to a large serving platter. Let stand 30 minutes before carving.


Turkey Cooking Times 

Cooked at 325 degrees to an internal temperature of 170 degrees will be as follows:

8 to 12 pounds: 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds: 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds: 4 to 4 1/2 hours
18 to 20 pounds: 4 1/2 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds: 4 3/4 to 5 1/2 hours