[77] Whole Roasted Turkey Without the Gravy

How to Cook Everything, Revised Edition by Mark Bittman

And now we come to the main event. A 22.5 lb monstrosity of an event. A gorgeous event.

Now, I have to admit to you something. Icing the turkey breast is nowhere near Mr. Bittman’s method. His method also assumes you WILL make gravy, which we didn’t (as you can see from the title). That leaves us with having actually made a variant on this recipe. I’m okay with that, though some of my readers may call foul.

I’d be sad if you guys did that.

So, let’s not. Let’s just get on to this gorgeous bird. I was pretty darn proud of it, I have to say.

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Thanksgiving Turkey Brine and Pre-Roasting Prep

Okay, quick diversion from cookbook recipes into “recipes from my imaginary friends”.

Like so many folks, I spend some time around various internet haunts that are not, in fact, this blog. Crazy talk, I know, but it’s still true.

Awhile back I wanted to do Thanksgiving for the first time ever. I asked at one of those haunts and got all kinds of useful advice about what to do. In fact, I’d go so far as to say the folks there might qualify as “some of them.”:http://metacookbook.com/archives/146-75-Roasted-Brussels-Sprouts-with-Garlic.html

Anyway, one of “them” gave me this brine recipe, saying it was from “Alton Brown.”:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html I used it that first year, and I used it again this year. I’ll probably use it until eternity. Or I stop making turkeys.… Continue reading →