CHEZ PANISSE'S TURKEY BRINE

Many of us have used (and loved) MaVie's turkey brine recipe. I came across this today and because I love Chez Panisse and what Alice Waters has contributed, I would have used it except my turkey is already in MaVie's brine!

CHEZ PANISSE'S TURKEY BRINE

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 gallons cold water
2 cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
2 bay leaves, torn into pieces
1 bunch fresh thyme, or 4 tablespoons dried
1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
5 whole allspice berries, crushed
4 juniper berries, smashed

INSTRUCTIONS
Place the water in a large nonreactive pot that can easily hold the liquid and the turkey. Add all the ingredients and stir for a minute or two until the sugar and salt dissolve.

Put the turkey into the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. If the turkey floats to the top, weight it down with a plate and cans to keep it completely submerged in the brine.

Note: You may halve or double the recipe. The important thing is to prepare enough brine to cover the turkey completely.

To roast: Remove the bird from the brine, rinse and drain well. Pat dry. Roast until the internal temperature measured in the thigh reaches 165 degrees.

My note: the article about this brine suggested the pan drippings might be too salty for gravy. It has twice the salt of MaVie's recipe
article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/11/14/FD171690.DTL