Turkey is often the centerpiece on dinner tables across America on Thanksgiving. But all too often this flightless bird is over-roasted, dry, and just a little bit bland. There are many ways to remedy this flavor-situation. Some are more complicated than others. Take the trend of deep-fried turkey, for example! While it may be an incredibly tasty preparation for this holiday bird its also the leading cause of home fires around the holidays. So, in the Saucey Sauce Test Kitchen we left the deep frying to the pro’s (and people with outdoor space to cook) and experimented with an incredibly simple way to infuse our bird full of complex flavor.
We chose to brine our turkey in a salty-sweet combo of Fresh Lemon Saucey Sauce and herbs and spices. All you’ll need is the ingredients and a clean 5-gallon container in which you can let your bird soak up all those savory juices.
The added bonus to brining turkey, aside from zero risk of fires, is that the brine acts as a tenderizer for the meat leaving the turkey moist and tender.
Saucey Fresh Lemon Brine
1 (14 to 16 pound) young turkey
For the brine:
1 bottle Fresh Lemon Saucey Sauce
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
4 sprigs rosemary
4 leaves sage
4 sprigs thyme
Method
Combine the Fresh Lemon Sauce, salt, sugar, vegetable stock, peppercorns, lemon, onion, rosemary, sage, and thyme in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Bring to a boil, then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. Place cooled brine in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Add the turkey to the brine, and cover. Refrigerate the or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining. To cook, remove the turkey from the brine and cook as directed until turkey is tender and cooked through.