Portuguese Turkey Brine Recipes

ULTIMATE TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir salt and sugar into the water until dissolved; bring water again to a boil. Add cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, rosemary, and thyme to the water, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook mixture at a simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Refrigerate brine until completely cooled.

GRANDMA'S FARMHOUSE TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Stir the salt, poultry seasoning, onion powder, and black pepper together in a large stockpot. Pour in the vegetable stock, water, and cranberry juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• To use, submerge a turkey into the cooled brine and refrigerate 12 to 16 hours to brine. Drain the turkey and pat dry before roasting according to your recipe's directions.

PORTUGUESE TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Soak turkeys in salted water under refrigeration for 24 hours.
• Combine wine, garlic, paprika, bay leaves, salt, hot pepper sauce and oregano. Marinate turkeys in this mixture for 24 hours under refrigeration. Turn occasionally.
• When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove turkeys from marinade, reserving marinade. Pack turkeys loosely with stuffing and cover openings of cavities with bread crusts; sew cavities closed. Bake remaining stuffing separately during the last half-hour turkeys are roasting.
• Wrap turkey wings in foil. Put turkeys into roasting pans and top with pieces of bacon, putting some beneath turkeys as well. Pour reserved marinade over turkeys.
• Roast turkeys for 30 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast turkeys about 2 1/2 hours more. If turkeys get too brown before they are cooked, put aluminum foil over the top. If turkeys are roasted in a single oven, they may need 30 minutes or more of extra roasting time.

RECIPE: PORTUGUESE ROAST TURKEY - GEORGE MENDES RECIPE

Steps:

• Brine the turkey: In a large pot, combine the brine ingredients and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and salt have dissolved, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and chill, uncovered, in the fridge until cool, about 1 hour. Make ahead: Once chilled, the brine can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Rinse the turkey and neck, and place inside a 5-gallon container (or a large cooler). Pour the chilled brine over the turkey and top with a heavy plate, submerging the turkey. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.
• In a medium bowl, combine the paprika marinade ingredients. Make ahead: The marinade can be made and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse under cold water. Discard the brine. Rinse out the 5-gallon container and return the turkey to it. Pour the paprika marinade over the turkey, rubbing all over the outside and the inner cavity; cover and chill in refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours.
• Adjust the rack to the lower third of the oven, and preheat it to 400°.
• Cut off the turkey's wing tips, reserving them, and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Combine the turkey neck, wing tips, red onions, carrots and bay leaves in a large roasting pan. Place the turkey on top, breast-side up, and rub with the salt and ¼ cup of the marinade.
• Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until the skin is browned, 40 to 50 minutes, basting the bird and rotating the pan halfway through roasting, covering any dark spots with aluminum foil.
• Lower the oven to 300°. Baste the turkey with marinade and pour 1 cup of water into the pan, creating steam to help cook the turkey. Continue to roast the turkey, rotating the pan and basting every 30 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches just under 160°, 1½ to 2 hours. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest in the roasting pan for 30 minutes before carving. Serve with the pan drippings and roasted vegetables.

PLAIN OLD TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring 1 gallon water to a boil. Add the sugar, salt and spices, then stir until the salt and sugar dissolve.
• Add 1 gallon of cold water and the ice. Transfer the brine to a container large enough to contain it and the turkey (I do this with a turkey breast and put it in a small cooler -- Many grocers sell special brining bags for this purpose).
• Add the turkey to the brine, breast side submerged, close the container and refrigerate overnight.
• Once brined, remove the turkey from the liquid and drain. Pat the bird dry with paper towels and proceed with roasting as directed by your recipe. Check the internal temperature early, as brined turkeys cook faster than those not brine.
• Makes enough brine for a 10-pound turkey.

MIGHTY FINE TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Combine 2 1/2 cups water and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until salt is dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Pour water and salt mixture into a 5-gallon bucket. Add 1 gallon of water.
• Combine 2 1/2 cups water and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Pour into the bucket.
• Stir apple juice, whiskey, and lemon juice into the bucket. Add chopped apple. Squeeze in orange juice and add in rinds.

PORTUGUESE TURKEY WITH BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Soak turkeys in salted water under refrigeration for 24 hours.
• Combine wine, garlic, paprika, bay leaves, salt, hot pepper sauce and oregano. Marinate turkeys in this mixture for 24 hours under refrigeration. Turn occasionally.
• When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove turkeys from marinade, reserving marinade. Pack turkeys loosely with stuffing and cover openings of cavities with bread crusts; sew cavities closed. Bake remaining stuffing separately during the last half-hour turkeys are roasting.
• Wrap turkey wings in foil. Put turkeys into roasting pans and top with pieces of bacon, putting some beneath turkeys as well. Pour reserved marinade over turkeys.
• Roast turkeys for 30 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast turkeys about 2 1/2 hours more. If turkeys get too brown before they are cooked, put aluminum foil over the top. If turkeys are roasted in a single oven, they may need 30 minutes or more of extra roasting time.

TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Fill a large container or stock pot with 1.5 litres cold water and set aside. The pot should be large enough to hold your turkey plus 3 litres water. Pour another 1.5 litres cold water into a large pan over a low-medium heat. Tip in the salt, sugar, bay, thyme, peppercorns, orange zest and coriander seeds, and whisk until the salt and sugar have completely dissolved. Remove from the heat, then pour into the container or stock pot and leave to cool completely.
• Weigh the turkey and carefully add it to the container, ensuring it's completely submerged in the brine. Leave to brine for roughly 1 hr per 500g to ensure succulent meat and a flavourful bird, then drain well (discarding the aromatics), pat dry and roast.

PORTUGUESE TURKEY & STUFFING

Steps:

• Combine the first 8 ingredients of the marindate then place the thawed turkey in the marinade. Rub the turkey with the marinade, then put some of it inside the turkey. Marinade for 24 hours in the roasting pan in the fridge, turning it over every couple of hours.
• Remove the turkey from the fridge 2 hours prior to cooking. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Stuff the turkey with the stuffing. If there is too much, place the balance of the stuffing in a pouch made of a double layer of foil, seal then place in the roasting plan.
• Pour the lemon juice over the turkey, sprinkle with paprika, dot with butter and a drizzle of oil. To the marinade, add the onion and ketchup.
• Roast approximately 1/2 hour uncovered, then reduce to 325F and cook for 1 hour uncovered. Baste then cover with lid. After 3 hours in the oven, add the potatoes and carrots to the pan, basting with the sauce . Cover the turkey and continue basting throughout the roasting process. (15 min cooking time per lb of turkey to165 F). Allow turkey to rest 20 minutes prior to carving.
• Stuffing: Combine all off the ingredients together then add the boiling water to attain a thick consistency. Once cool enough to handle, mix well using your hands. Add more bread crumbs if too soft and water if too hard then taste and adjust for seasoning. *Stuffing can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container.

PORTUGUESE TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• Bring water and milk to boil in 6-quart pot.
• Remove crusts from cornmeal bread and cut bread into small pieces. Break rolls into small pieces.
• Reduce heat of boiling liquid to simmer and add rolls and cornmeal bread. Mix, remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes.
• Mash bread with hands, or process it in a food processor.
• Put chouriço in saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil and boil 3 or 4 minutes. Skin chouriço; grind in meat grinder or food processor and mix into bread mixture.
• Saute onions with paprika in 4 tablespoons of hot oil until soft. Add the parsley, olives, tomato paste, hot sauce and white pepper.
• Combine onion mixture with bread mixture and mix. Add egg yolks. Season with salt, and saute in remaining 4 tablespoons hot oil.
• Cool dressing and stuff turkey.
• Bake remaining dressing in covered casserole at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes; this can be done in oven with turkeys, during last half-hour they are roasting.
• YIELD Enough to stuff two 12-pound turkeys, with plenty left over.