Apple Cider Brined And Glazed Turkey Breast Recipes

APPLE-GLAZED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• For the brine: Combine 8 cups cool water with the salt, sugar, rosemary, coriander and peppercorns in a container large enough to hold the turkey. Stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Stir in 8 more cups of cool water. Remove the bag of giblets and the neck from turkey; and, if you like, reserve for another use (you can freeze them, freezing the liver separately). Discard any large pieces of fat from the turkey, rinse the bird inside and out and place in the brine. Top with a weighted plate to keep it submerged. Refrigerate, or, if it is winter and you have an unheated garage, place it in there. A cooler, lined with a plastic bag works well too. Brine for 24 hours and up to 48 hours.
• For roasting the bird: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lift the turkey from the brine; discard the brine. Rinse and pat dry. Pour 2 cups of water into the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in the pan. Place the lemon and orange in the turkey cavity. Tie the legs together with twine. Tuck the wings under. Rub the entire turkey with the oil. Roast for 30 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the thigh without touching the bone, 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes total (about 12 minutes per pound).
• For the glaze: While the turkey is roasting, combine the cider, soy sauce and rosemary in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and boil until the mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 30 minutes. Baste the turkey with the glaze every 15 minutes during the final 45 minutes of cooking time. Transfer the turkey to a platter or carving board and tent with foil. Rest the turkey for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before carving.

APPLE CIDER TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups water, apple cider, kosher salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorns together in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil; cook and stir brine until the salt is just dissolved. Remove from heat; add ice cubes.

CIDER GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• Brine:
• In a large pot with a lid that is big enough to fit the turkey, add all but 2 cups apple cider and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the salt, 3 sprigs of thyme, 3 sprigs rosemary and stir to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat, add 5 cups of ice, 6 cups water and stir. Put the turkey in the pot with the brine and hold it down so that the cavity fills with the brine. If the turkey is not completely submerged in the brine, add another 2 to 3 cups of water to the pot until covered. Cover the pot with a lid and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Arrange it, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Stuff the remaining thyme and the bunch of sage into the cavity and tuck the wings back underneath the bottom of the breast. Tie the legs together with a piece of butcher's twine.
• In a small bowl combine the canola oil, poultry seasoning and pepper. Brush the turkey liberally until completely coated. Put in the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. About 30 minutes before the turkey is done, liberally baste the bird with the cider glaze. Baste with the remaining glaze 2 more times at 10 minute intervals. Remove from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before carving. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.
• Glaze:
• In a small saucepan combine the reserved 2 cups of apple cider and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup.

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY WITH MAPLE-CIDER GLAZE

Steps:

• For the turkey brine: Heat the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, oranges, shallots, parsley, sage and thyme in a saucepot to dissolve the sugar and salt. Then let the mixture cool completely.
• Divide the turkey pieces between two 2 1/2-gallon resealable plastic bags or containers big enough to hold them. Add equal parts of the brine to the two bags. Let rest for several hours in the fridge, preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. Rub the skin with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Set the turkey on a metal rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet and cook about 15 minutes per pound, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers about 165 degrees F. The temperature will go up 5 to 10 degrees as it rests.
• For the glaze: Place a small saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the apple cider, turkey stock, maple syrup, butter, peppercorns and orange rind. Bring the mixture to a light simmer and reduce by half. Baste the turkey every now and then during the last half of the cooking time.

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Reserve 1 cup of the apple cider; cover and refrigerate. In 6-quart container or stockpot, mix remaining cider, the brown sugar, salt, 3 thyme sprigs, the sage, peppercorns, allspice and bay leaves; stir until salt is dissolved. Add turkey breast. Cover; refrigerate at least 12 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 325°F. Remove turkey from brine; discard brine. Rinse turkey thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in large shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of breast and does not touch bone. Roast uncovered 1 hour.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat reserved 1 cup apple cider to boiling; cook 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Reduce heat to medium. Add syrup and butter; cook until butter is melted and mixture is hot.
• Brush turkey with about 1/3 cup of the cider mixture. Roast uncovered about 1 hour longer or until thermometer reads 165°F, brushing generously with pan juices and remaining cider mixture every 15 minutes. Cover turkey loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Place turkey on warm platter; cover with foil. Let stand 15 minutes for easier carving.