Posted By Kimberly Turner on Nov 15, 2013 in Christmas, Cooking How-To Videos, Cooking Shows, Cooking with Kimberly, Entertaining Guests, Featured, Holidays & Events, How To Cook, Main Dishes, Poultry & Fowl, Thanksgiving, Turkey | 0 comments

If you have never Brined a Turkey before cooking it, you are missing out on flavor & some really moist meat.

A bird that has been brined acts differently when cooking it than a bird that didn’t take that salty, spicy dip.

Advantages of Brining a Turkey:

Flavor: The spices & salt in the brine really are imparted into the meat, giving you a more savory experience.
Texture: The turkey will be kicked up in moisture content that it retains. The meat is juicy and falls off the bones.
Skin: A turkey roasted that’s been brined prior to cooking will yield crispy, brown poultry skin that’s super flavorful with all the spices that helped it along the way.
Cooking Time: When I brine my birds, they tend to cook up much quicker than non-brined versions. Not sure why, but it is what it is.

Now, that you’re sold on making a brine for your bird, try out my Ultimate Holiday Turkey Brine for your turkey needs over the holiday season.

How to Prepare a Brined Turkey for Roasting:

The instructions are listed below the video for directions. Please enjoy this webisode of Cooking with Kimberly:

Instructions:

After brining your bird for the desired length of time, at least overnight, remove the bird from the brining liquid and transfer to your clean, disinfected kitchen sink. * Note: Discard the brining liquid.
Rinse the turkey off under cold water to remove excess spices & salt.
Start to dry off the turkey with clean, dry paper towels by patting it, getting the majority of the moisture off the bird.
Finish drying the skin of the turkey with a low heat setting of a hair dryer. This ensures you get nice, crispy, skin upon roasting. You are also able to massage the skin of the bird with butter or bacon fat before putting it in the oven to roast without the water blocking that oil layer.

Tip: Wash & disinfect all surfaces & hands thoroughly that have touched turkey or the brine, so as not to contaminate yourself or other surfaces with salmonella.

You will surely notice a huge difference in the flavor, texture, cooking time & skin of your Holiday turkey when you brine & roast it up. Happy Holidays!

***

I hope you enjoy this Turkey Info on Cooking with Kimberly. Until next time…

Be a Champion in Your Kitchen & Eat Deliciously!