If you use the Alton Brown turkey recipe...

[fedoragirl]

...do you follow it to a tee? I've read a lot of reviews on that web site but no one mentions any changes to the recipe. I was wondering about allspice berries (substitute it with cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg?) and vegetable stock. Both these items are not readily available here and I don't want to go through the trouble of looking up specialty stores that may or may not carry them.
I thought of making my veggie stock from scratch but can't I just buy powder/granules etc. and just do that? Will it significantly affect the recipe?
This is my first time ever making turkey so I'd like to follow the Alton Brown recipe so recommended here.

[Jrwusch]

We did it for the first time last year and I'm pretty sure we didn't make any changes...it was the most amazing turkey ever! I don't know enough to know whether those changes you mentioned would make a big difference. Sorry!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Brining is pretty darned flexible. The salt and the water s what you really are using, the rest is at your discretion. If you think different flavors would be yummy, go for it. We have always followed it to a t. :) But, I admit that I am now hooked on Fire and Flavor Herb Brining Kit. I think the gravy that comes out as a result is delicious and plentiful. I thought the Alton Brown was good but that is even better!
http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Flavor-Perfect-Brining-20-8-Ounce/dp/B001GP0J0E/ref=sr_1_28?ie=UTF8&qid=1321108601&sr=1-28

As for cooking instructions- follow the Alton Brown.

Beth

[Penny's Pappa]

You know, I could swear that that recipe has changed at least once.

We don't use the allspice or the veggie stock, but we do add one tube of OJ concentrate and I think a cup of dark brown sugar. Again, I could swear that's what his recipe used to call for but maybe I'm going crazy!

Anyway, the salt and water are the important parts. Everything else is up to you. We do follow his cooking instructions to a T though.

Good luck!

ETA: OK, so we use the recipe from one of his books. Apparently it's different from the one on the Food Network website.

----------
Sent from the aether using Tapatalk.

[wencit]

I do follow it to a T, but I don't think it's absolutely NECESSARY. It's not like my guests eat the turkey and exclaim, "Oh wow, this meat has candied ginger nuances to it! Delish!" As someone said, the most important elements are the salt and water. They are key to keeping the breast moist. Anything else, I feel, doesn't impart a huge amount of flavor to the turkey itself. If you can't find the exact ingredients, I wouldn't stress over it.

[Jo..]

To a T. Best Turkey we make, hands down. A couple of years we tried the Cook's Illustrated recipe. Alton's is better.

[s7714]

I followed it the first time I used it, since then I've done plenty of variations and they've all turned out fine.

To be honest I think there are much more flavorful brining recipes out there, so I no longer even use AB's, but I think his is a really good starter recipe.

[katydid1971]

I use the cooking method to a T but I use this recipe, it makes the best gravy ever!!!!!!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wolfgang-puck/brined-roast-turkey-with-pan-gravy-recipe/index.html

[niccig]

Has anyone brined in a brining bag? I don't think I can fit a 5 gallon container in my fridge. But a brining bag would fit - do you have to rotate the turkey so it gets covered in the brine?

[sweetsue98]

We followed it to a T and the turkey is fantastic. It will be even better the next day. We started brinning chicken when we make whole chicken. You will never go back to not brinning.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Has anyone brined in a brining bag? I don't think I can fit a 5 gallon container in my fridge. But a brining bag would fit - do you have to rotate the turkey so it gets covered in the brine?

dh says put it in breast side down. Turn it only if you really want to. He puts the turkey in the brine bag into a V-rack we have that fits in our roasting pan or surrounds the bag with things like cans. Otherwise the bag and the contents will spread out and be flat to the bottom of the container you have vs covering as much of the turkey as possible. Does that make sense?

Yeah, we started using the brine bag vs the 5 gallon container a few years back.

Beth

[niccig]

dh says put it in breast side down. Turn it only if you really want to. He puts the turkey in the brine bag into a V-rack we have that fits in our roasting pan or surrounds the bag with things like cans. Otherwise the bag and the contents will spread out and be flat to the bottom of the container you have vs covering as much of the turkey as possible. Does that make sense?

Yeah, we started using the brine bag vs the 5 gallon container a few years back.

Beth

Thanks Beth. I was thinking of clearing out one for the vegetable drawers. That should fit the v rack I have for the roasting pan.

[septmama2b]

I have used AB's turkey recipe for 10 years at least and it has never failed me. I have tried the Williams Sonoma brine mix once but didn't like it as much. I think you can mix up the spices and I know people who use apple cider instead of veggie broth but I don't want to mess with a sure thing.

[katydid1971]

Has anyone brined in a brining bag? I don't think I can fit a 5 gallon container in my fridge. But a brining bag would fit - do you have to rotate the turkey so it gets covered in the brine?
I have at MIL's because she doesn't have a large enough pot. I put the turkey and bag in a large casserole dish in the the frig then used the Alton Brown cooking method for cooking it. I would turn the whole thing over every so often so that it would get brined on the top and bottom.

[amldaley]

I followed his technical processes to a tee including brining and putting the butter up under the skin and tenting and not basting, but as far a flavor stuff goes - nope - I use his guidance and go from there.

[daniele_ut]

Has anyone brined in a brining bag? I don't think I can fit a 5 gallon container in my fridge. But a brining bag would fit - do you have to rotate the turkey so it gets covered in the brine?

Last year I used a deep, rectangular plastic dishpan that I already had. I lined it with an oven bag and then put the turkey in it. The brine totally covered the turkey, and it was much smaller than a 5g bucket. You can also do it in a cooler if you don't have room in the fridge.

[94bruin]

Sorry to hijack this thread but this will be the first time I'm cooking a turkey.

I have a regular roasting pan with a v-rack. Alton suggests using a half-sheet pan with a flat rack. Is this necessary? I have a half-sheet pan, but no flat rack. Any advice?

[septmama2b]

Sorry to hijack this thread but this will be the first time I'm cooking a turkey.

I have a regular roasting pan with a v-rack. Alton suggests using a half-sheet pan with a flat rack. Is this necessary? I have a half-sheet pan, but no flat rack. Any advice?

I always use a v-rack and a regular roasting pan.

[lizzywednesday]

Yes, substituting bullion cubes for the stock will work fine.

Substituting out allspice, I'm not sure. It's hard to get the proportions right if you can't find them. Where are you that you can't find them? (I think I bought mine at the local natural foods co-op because I could get a small amount; they sell them in bulk.)

[wencit]

I have a regular roasting pan with a v-rack. Alton suggests using a half-sheet pan with a flat rack. Is this necessary? I have a half-sheet pan, but no flat rack. Any advice?I don't think a flat rack is necessary. I've done a half-sheet pan with a v-rack and a roasting pan with a v-rack, and I just think the air circulates around the turkey better with the half-sheet pan and v-rack. (My roasting pan is kind of deep, though.) I wouldn't go out of my way to find a flat rack.

HTH!

[94bruin]

One more question: where do you find vegetable stock? All I could find was vegetable broth (I looked at Safeway & Whole Foods.)

[mezzona]

One more question: where do you find vegetable stock? All I could find was vegetable broth (I looked at Safeway & Whole Foods.)

vegetable broth works.

[twowhat?]

I agree that the flavors you add to the brine don't matter so much. The important thing in the salt in the brine.

I have a question - is this the recipe where you roast the turkey at a really high temperature for the first part of the cooking? If so, can you guys comment on this? I've been afraid to try it for fear of it creating too much smoke...

[linsei]

I agree that the flavors you add to the brine don't matter so much. The important thing in the salt in the brine.

I have a question - is this the recipe where you roast the turkey at a really high temperature for the first part of the cooking? If so, can you guys comment on this? I've been afraid to try it for fear of it creating too much smoke...

Yes. I was skeptical too, but the high temperature makes a thin tough (not sure if that is the best way to explain it... maybe just crispy?) outer layer that locks in the juices. First time we cooked a turkey, mine was really dark brown. When my dad walked in our house, he immediately started criticizing me that I burnt the turkey and the meat was going to be dry and not fit to eat. When we ate it, he said it was the best turkey ever. :)

eta: it did smoke and I think the fire alarm went off, so remember to take out the batteries if you decide to try it.

[Penny's Pappa]

I agree that the flavors you add to the brine don't matter so much. The important thing in the salt in the brine.

I have a question - is this the recipe where you roast the turkey at a really high temperature for the first part of the cooking? If so, can you guys comment on this? I've been afraid to try it for fear of it creating too much smoke...

Yes. You cook at 500°F for 30 minutes.

That thing is going to snap, crackle, pop, and smoke more than Cheech and Chong eating a bowl of rice krispies, but it's fine! IIRC, the initial high heat sears the skin and cooks the fat just underneath it. I think that's what causes the smoke. Once the skin is seared, it helps seal in the bird's juices SO NO BASTING!! After the 1/2 hour at 500, place an aluminum foil tent over the breast, insert a thermometer, reduce to 350°F and cook to an internal temp of ~160°F. Just leave it till it's done!

[twowhat?]

Yes. You cook at 500°F for 30 minutes.

That thing is going to snap, crackle, pop, and smoke more than Cheech and Chong eating a bowl of rice krispies, but it's fine! IIRC, the initial high heat sears the skin and cooks the fat just underneath it. I think that's what causes the smoke. Once the skin is seared, it helps seal in the bird's juices SO NO BASTING!! After the 1/2 hour at 500, place an aluminum foil tent over the breast, insert a thermometer, reduce to 350°F and cook to an internal temp of ~160°F. Just leave it till it's done!

Eeep! This is why I haven't tried it...I don't know how to deal with the smoke. Our kitchen doesn't have a window that opens in it (nearest opening window is in the breakfast area which is probably a good 20 feet away from the oven), and the ovens are on a separate wall from the stove/vent hood. And our smoke detectors are wired into the house electricity so I can't just take the batteries out of them...any ideas?

eta: I was rolling with your Cheech and Chong + rice krispies analogy.