Tag Archives: maple

Maple Sage turkey brine

Posted on by

Tangy maple and sage brine for turkey, up to 14 lb.

  • 4 quarts water, divided
  • 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup sea salt
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 24 fresh sage leaves
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons mustard powder
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 4 quarts ice water

Raise 2 cups of water to a boil and add salt.  Simmer 3 minutes until salt is dissolved.  Cool brine to room temperature. Whisk mustard powder into vinegar and set aside.  Prepare a bouquet garni of sage and bay leaves. 

Combine ingredients in a non-reactive vessel and top up with ice water.

Clean and truss turkey, and add to brine ensuring the turkey is completely covered.  Refrigerate covered up to 24 hours.  After 24 hours, rinse turkey and pat dry.  Refrigerate uncovered overnight allowing skin to dry, allowing for a crispier finish.

Maple Cider turkey brine

Posted on by

Apple and maple with herbs and aromatics.  For up to 12 lb birds.

  • 2 quarts apple cider
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
  • 3/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 6 (2-inch) strips orange rind
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 gallon cold water, divided

Raise 2 cups of water to a boil and add salt.  Simmer 3 minutes until salt is dissolved.  Cool brine to room temperature, and combine remaining ingredients in a non-reactive vessel.

Clean and truss turkey, and add to brine ensuring the turkey is completely covered.  Refrigerate covered up to 24 hours.  After 24 hours, rinse turkey and pat dry.  Refrigerate uncovered overnight allowing skin to dry, allowing for a crispier finish.

Apple Maple turkey brine

Posted on by

Apple and maple with fall spices and aromatics.  For up to 12 lb birds.

  • 14 cups water (divided)
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 3 litres unsweetened apple juice
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 4 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
  • 2 Tbsp. whole black peppercorn
  • 2 lemons, quartered
  • 2 oranges, quartered
  • 4 cinnamon sticks, broken into three pieces
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh sage

Raise 2 cups of water to a boil and add salt.  Simmer 3 minutes until salt is dissolved.  Cool brine to room temperature, and combine remaining ingredients in a non-reactive vessel.

Clean and truss turkey, and add to brine ensuring the turkey is completely covered.  Refrigerate covered up to 24 hours.  After 24 hours, rinse turkey and pat dry.  Refrigerate uncovered overnight allowing skin to dry, allowing for a crispier finish.

Maple, Bacon and Bourbon Turkey fry!

Posted on by

I volunteered to contribute a fried turkey to our Festivus staff lunch today, and had planned to fry the bird on site. The logistics of carting along the fryer, propane, carving kit and work table were complicated by rain in the forecast. I didn’t feel comfortable frying under the overhang on our loading dock, and didn’t want to stain the concrete. I was feeling too lazy to bring a canopy along, so I just did the fry at home and brought the hot bird in.  I had wanted to share the process with some of the guys at the office, so I took some shots and video for them. 

image

Maple bacon bourbon brine

The brine was the best part. I adapted another recipe I had and brined the bird overnight. It’d make a great injection marinade as well.

image

Rain in the forecast, frying under a canopy

It’s always a little dodgy running a hot fryer under a cannot like this. The vinyl cloth gets soft and sags, collecting rain water. I really need to get a new canopy. Still, this did the trick for today.  That’s my 110k BTU burner under there.