Scarborough Fair Turkey Brine
Brining a turkey is a culinary technique that involves soaking the bird in a solution of sugar, salt, water, and often other flavor-enhancing ingredients. This process not only adds moisture to the turkey but also infuses it with savory herbal flavors, resulting in a tender and succulent centerpiece for your holiday feast. The salt in the brine helps to break down the proteins in the meat, allowing it to retain more moisture during cooking for an extra juicy bird. If you’ve never brined your turkey, it’s a gamechanger and guaranteed make for a memorable holiday feast.
Here is my Scarborough Fair Turkey Brine recipe:
Ingredients You Will Need
1 cup (227 g) sea salt
1 cup (227 g) sugar
2 tablespoons (28 g) parsley, dried
3 tablespoons (42 g) sage, dried
3 tablespoons (42 g) rosemary, dried
3 tablespoons (42 g) thyme, dried
To Make
Store in a cool, dark place until the morning before you want to roast your turkey.
To Use The Brine
Unpackage your turkey, remove the giblets, and transfer it to a stockpot. The stock pot you choose should be large and deep enough to hold your turkey entirely submerged in water. If you can’t find one large enough, a food-safe bucket is an alternative.
Next, make space for the pot in your refrigerator and test it to make sure it fits with the lid on before moving on to the next step. I find this to be the trickiest part of the entire process! (If it won’t fit with the lid, use plastic wrap to cover.)
Heat one quart of water just enough to warm it to the touch (about 1 minute in the microwave.) Stir in the brine mixture until completely dissolved and pour over the turkey. Add additional water by the quart until the entire turkey is submerged. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
When you’re ready to roast, remove your turkey from the solution, rinse and pat dry sure so you still get that crispy delicious skin everyone fights over! Dress and roast as you normally would.
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine
- Scarborough Fair, Canticle Lyrics, Simon & Garfunkel
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