This easy-to-prepare brine will make your holiday turkey moist and flavorful. You can use it for any poultry any time of year.
Why use Turkey Brine?
Brining in cold saltwater causes a chemical process called osmosis. Initially, the moisture in the bird is drawn out into the salty mixture. Then, brining causes a change in the structure of the proteins in the muscle. First, the salt causes protein strands to become denatured. Then, as the strands unwind, they form a matrix that traps water, and as the osmosis reaction reverses with water moving into the turkey meat, with the spices added to the mixture flavor the turkey. In simple terms, it means you get a moist, flavorful turkey.
Things to Look Out For
It's well known that meat should not remain above 40° F / 4° C for more than two hours. However, the brining process takes at least twelve hours, so you need to do this in the refrigerator or somewhere you know you can keep the contents at the correct temperature. When I do this, I put everything in a brand new *brining bag, put the bag in a large roasting pan, and put that in the refrigerator. That makes it easy to turn the bird and keeps anything from leaking inside your refrigerator.
Ice for the Brine
You will need quite a bit of ice, so this may be a time to get a bag of ice. Not having the brine cold enough can pose several problems. If the brine is still hot from the stove, it can start cooking the bird. If the brine is not cold enough, at or below 40 F (4 C), it will put the bird into the danger zone, bacteria will multiply and make your bird unsafe to eat. Use enough ice and test the brining solution with an *instant-read thermometer before putting the turkey in. That is why the recipe heats only part of the water: the rest goes in as ice and very cold water, which brings the whole batch down to temperature.
Spices for the Brine
I realized one day that all of the spices I would typically use for this were already in the Country Pate spice that I keep on hand. The main spices are allspice and black pepper, so the others just add more flavor. The spice mix makes enough for this turkey brine as well as a spice for pate or sausage. This spice recipe was given to me by wonderful neighbor, Nadia Sutton.
Email Me the Recipe
Enter your email address and we will send it straight to your inbox.
Turkey Brine with French Country Pate Spice
Equipment
If you purchase any of the products through these affiliate links, I get a few pennies that help keep The Good Plate open. I use these products myself and want you to be able to easily find them.
Ask the Cooking Genie
Have a question about this recipe that isn't answered in the post? The Cooking Genie is at your service. The Genie knows this recipe well, but even genies slip up now and then — please use your own good judgment in the kitchen. Per genie union rules, the Genie may grant three questions per visit. For anything beyond this recipe, please use the contact form.
Ingredients
~~ Pate Spice ~~
-- For the Brine --
- 1 cup (292 g) Kosher Salt
- 1 cup (220 g) Brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) Cider Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (14.79 ml) Herbes de Provence
- 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) ginger, fresh grated
- 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) Black pepper, whole
- 1 quart (946 ml) Water
- 4 pounds (1.8 kg) Ice cubes
- 1 quart (946.35 ml) Water, very cold
Instructions
- Mise en place
- 1/3 ounce (9.45 g) Allspice, 1/3 ounce (9.45 g) Bay Leaf, 1/8 ounce (3.54 g) Clove, 1/3 ounce (9.45 g) Coriander, 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) Garlic Powder, 1/3 ounce (9.45 g) Mace, 1/8 ounce (3.54 g) Marjoram, 3/4 ounce (21.26 g) Paprika, 1/4 ounce (7.09 g) Rosemary, 1/3 ounce (9.45 g) ThymeTo make the pate spice, put all the pate spice ingredients in a small food processor, spice grinder, and grind them until they are a relatively fine powder. Yes, you can do it by hand with a mortar and pestle or a molcajete - if you want strong arms. Put the finished spice in a jar. Store it in a cool, dark place.
- Remove any wrapping from the turkey. If there is a bag of giblets, remove that, too. You can give that to the cat.
- Crush the peppercorns with a heavy pot to break them up a bit. They do not have to be ground, just crushed a little bit.
To make the brine
- 1 cup (292 g) Kosher Salt, 1 cup (220 g) Brown sugar, 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) Cider Vinegar, 1 tablespoon (14.79 ml) Herbes de Provence, 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) ginger, 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) Black pepper, 1 quart (946 ml) WaterIn a 4-quart saucepan, combine the kosher salt, brown sugar, cider vinegar, herbes de Provence, ginger, crushed peppercorns, and 1 quart of water. Only part of the water is heated so the ice can chill the whole batch.
- Bring just to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve.
- Immediately turn off the heat and pour into a very large bowl that will hold at least a gallon of liquid.
- 4 pounds (1.8 kg) Ice cubes, 1 quart (946.35 ml) WaterAdd the ice and the very cold water.
- Stir until the ice is mostly melted and the brine is cold.
- Check the brine with an instant-read thermometer. It must read 40°F (4°C) or colder before the turkey goes in. If it is warmer, add more ice or refrigerate the brine until it is cold enough. You can also make the brine a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator.
- Place cleaned turkey in a *large brining bag. Carefully add brine to the bag, seal, and put in the refrigerator. After 6 hours, turn the bird over and continue to refrigerate until ready to cook.
