Ingredients
- turkey, fresh all natural
- 12-14 lb
- Ingredients (brining):
- water
- 1 gallon
- salt
- 1 cup
- sugar
- ½ cup
- Ingredients (roasting):
- carrot
- 4 large
- parsnip
- 2 large
- celery
- 4 sticks
- turnip
- 2 large
- onion
- 2 medium
- garlic
- 2 heads (not cloves)
- butter
- 1 cup (2 sticks)
- beer, wheat or pale ale
- 4 bottles
- rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp
- sage, fresh, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp
- thyme, fresh, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp
- peppercorn
- 1 tbsp
- Brining:
Instructions
- In a large pot or bowl (large enough to fit the turkey), dissolve the salt and sugar in water.
- Brine turkey in the salt water in the refrigerator for 8-10hrs. Brining for too long is much worse than brining for too short. Remove turkey from brine, and thoroughly rinse turkey inside and out with cold fresh water. Roasting:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove the top rack of the oven, so the turkey will fit in the oven. Roast at 325°F, for 3-4hrs. (15-20min per pound) Loosely cover breast with foil. Baste every 15min. Pour an additional beer over turkey every hour. Uncover from foil after 3hrs. (or about 3/4 time passed) Check temperature of breast, meaty part under the wing, for 160-165°F. Check temperature of legs for 170°F.
- Pat dry with paper towels. If required, truss the legs and wings. Wrap turkey wings in foil. Put turkey in large roasting pan. DO NOT RUB TURKEY WITH SALT— YOU HAVE ALREADY BRINED IT.
- Coarse chop carrots, parsnips, celery into large chunks. Quarter the turnip, and onions. Half the garlic heads. Stuff the turkey with lots of the vegetables, and drop remaining vegetables into the bottom of the roasting pan.
- In a saucepan, over medium/low heat, combine butter, with 1 bottle of beer. Stir in rosemary, sage, thyme, and peppercorns.
- Baste turkey with beer butter solution, being sure to coat under the skin of the turkey. Avoid puncturing the skin, if you can.
- Once done cooking, scoop vegetables out of turkey, pour out basting liquid. Remove all foil, untruss legs and wings. Remove turkey from pan, and tent with foil. Rest turkey for 20-40min, turkey will easily stay warm. Remove turkey skin. Carve turkey when ready.
Notes
ingredients to match the relative size of your turkey.
Cook times, for 325°F… If your turkey is 8 to 10 pounds, 2 1/2 to 3 1/4 hours If your turkey is 12 to 14 pounds, 3 to 3 3/4 hours If your turkey is 15 to 16 pounds, 3 3/4 to 4 hours If your turkey is 18 to 20 pounds, 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours If your turkey is 21 to 22 pounds, 4 3/4 to 5 hours If your turkey is 24 pounds, 5 to 5 1/4 hours