Bourbon Brined Esky Turkey
This is a surefire method to stop complaints about a dry turkey. We take a whole turkey and brine it in a solution of salt, brown sugar, bourbon, and other spices and aromatics. We cook it until it is almost done, wrap it in a towel and finish it in an esky where it will cook a little more and become super juicy and super tender. You’ll need a big pot, a container that will fit a turkey AND fit into the fridge, a big Esky, aluminium foil, and some clean towels.
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
3.2 kg turkey
8 litres water
500g (2 cups) coarse salt
600g (2 cups) brown sugar
250ml (1 cup) bourbon
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 orange, zest, and juice
8 bay leaves
6 cloves, whole
1 tablespoon liquid smoke (optional)
Olive oil
Fine salt
Method
Give yourself plenty of time. Thaw the bird, on a plate, in the fridge for 48 hours. Next, make the brine by putting the rest of the ingredients, except oil and fine salt, into a large pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely -this will take several hours. Place the turkey in a large container. Cover with the brine. Place a weight on the bird, so it is fully submerged. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
The following day, start cooking the bird four hours before you want to serve it. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Remove the turkey from the brine and drain. Discard the brine. Pat the turkey dry and rub the skin all over with oil and sprinkle with fine salt. Place in a large tray in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the skin begins to brown. Reduce heat to 180°C. Continue cooking for another 90 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven.
Cover the turkey (and the tray if possible) with aluminium foil. Then wrap the turkey (and tray) in a towel and place it in the Esky. Cover with more towels to completely fill the Esky. Put the lid on and keep the turkey there until 10 minutes prior to carving.
Carve and serve with gravy and berry sauces. Generally, there is a little too much salt in the pan juices to make a gravy from a brined turkey and stuffing absorbs too much salt as well. You can make a separate stuffing in a small cake tin if you are a stuffing lover. Make gravy separately or you can use Traditional Gravy from The Stock Merchant which you can get from The Daylesford Meat Co.
Scroll down for printable recipe.
Bourbon Brined Esky Turkey
Ingredients
- 3.2 kg turkey
- 8 litres water
- 500g (2 cups) coarse salt
- 600g (2 cups) brown sugar
- 250ml (1 cup) bourbon
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 orange, zest, and juice
- 8 bay leaves
- 6 cloves, whole
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (optional)
- Olive oil
- Fine salt
Instructions
- Give yourself plenty of time. Thaw the bird, on a plate, in the fridge for 48 hours. Next, make the brine by putting the rest of the ingredients, except oil and fine salt, into a large pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely -this will take several hours. Place the turkey in a large container. Cover with the brine. Place a weight on the bird, so it is fully submerged. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
- The following day, start cooking the bird four hours before you want to serve it. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Remove the turkey from the brine and drain. Discard the brine. Pat the turkey dry and rub the skin all over with oil and sprinkle with fine salt. Place in a large tray in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the skin begins to brown. Reduce heat to 180°C. Continue cooking for another 90 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven.
- Cover the turkey (and the tray if possible) with aluminium foil. Then wrap the turkey (and tray) in a towel and place it in the Esky. Cover with more towels to completely fill the Esky. Put the lid on and keep the turkey there until 10 minutes prior to carving.
- Carve and serve with gravy and berry sauces. Generally, there is a little too much salt in the pan juices to make a gravy from a brined turkey and stuffing absorbs too much salt as well. You can make a separate stuffing in a small cake tin if you are a stuffing lover. Make gravy separately or you can use Traditional Gravy from The Stock Merchant which you can get from The Daylesford Meat Co.