Tang Turkey

Hey, I had no juice in the house.  I was desperate.  Ok lazy.  It tasted good but did have a weird orange glow about it.  I used the recipe here and substituted Tang for apple cider.  The Tang mix was brown though, just like apple cider.  I can't decide if this is a new low or a new high.  

Moist and Delicious Turkey

I am a big proponent of brining turkey before roasting it. It always turns out moist and juicy, never dry. See the recipe I use here.

Here are some things to remember when brining any meat:

Kosher salt and table salt (without iodine) are the most common salts used in brining. Sea salt can be used, but it tends to be quite expensive.

A cup of table salt and a cup of kosher salt are not equal. Table salt weighs approximately 10 ounces per cup and kosher salt weighs approximately 5 to 8 ounces per cup depending on the brand. If using kosher salt in a brine, you must use more than a cup to achieve the same "saltiness" you would get from a cup of table salt.

The chart below shows how to substitute the two most popular brands of kosher salt for ordinary table salt.

1 cup Table Salt (without iodine) - Substitute with:
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt = 2 cups

Morton Kosher Salt = 1-1/2 cups

You can add flavor in all sorts of forms such as herbs and spices. Use brown sugar, honey or molasses in place of the sugar (some sweetness tends to offset a saltiness the brine might otherwise impart). You can use apple juice, cider, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, stock, or other liquids to replace some or all of the water.

Read more about it here.

Rotisserie Style Chicken

I used up what was left of the apple cider 2009 in this recipe. Then I promptly went out and bought 5 gallons of apple cider 2010. There is no hope.

I decided for a family get together I would just order rotisserie chickens from the store. Sam's was too far away to fulfill my purpose so I went and check out closer possibilities. All I found were puny roasted fryer chicken with very little meat. Plus who knows what they put on it. Next I went to the organic grocery store. At least it would be safe to eat. Twelve to 16 dollars for one chicken. No thank you. I decided I would make my own. It turned out better than any store prepared chicken. Lots of meat, too. This has been requested for Thanksgiving.

Rotisserie Style Chicken
Adapted from Diane Morgan

1-2 large plump roasting chickens ( I used Perdue all-natural plump with a pop-out timer)
Brine:
2/3 c. kosher salt
2/3 c. sugar
8 c. apple cider or apple juice (you can even use water)
2 bay leaves
Oil
Rotisserie chicken seasoning (look for no msg) 

In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, put salt, sugar and bay leaves. Add apple cider or juice and stir to combine. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Boil for 3 min. then remove from heat. Add 4 c. of ice cold water, stir and set aside to cool.Place plastic turkey-size oven bag inside a second bag, then place in a large stockpot. The stockpot will hold the bags and chicken for you. Position bags so they are wide open and fold the top of bags over the stockpot. Remove chicken from its wrappings. Remove neck and bag of giblets. Place chicken inside bags. Pour brine over chicken. Add another 2 c. cold water. Draw up top of inner bag, squeezing out as much air as possible; secure it with a twist tie. Do the same for outer bag. Place chicken, breast-side down in roasting pan and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours. Turn chicken 3 to 4 times while brining.

If you are only using one chicken, it can simply be placed in a large stock pot. Pour brine over the chicken and refrigerate 12-24 hours.Just before roasting, remove chicken from brine. Discard bags, brine and bay leaves. Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Rub chicken with oil, about 1 T. per 3 pound chicken. Sprinkle or rub on 2 T. rotisserie seasoning. (I am sure I used more oil and more seasoning.)

Pre-heat oven to 375.

Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Add 1 c. of water to pan (don't use if you want a crispy skin). The breast should read a temperature of 180 degrees. Use the time chart on the chicken wrapper to determine about how long it will take. Allow for a little more time if roasting more than one chicken. At 375 degrees a chicken takes about 20 minutes per pound plus another 10-20 minutes to roast. It takes about 2 hours to roast two chickens with baked potatoes in the oven at 375. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Can roast at a lower temperature (300-325) for a longer time.

Autumn

Long after the last leaf has been raked and the apples have been gathered in, crisp nights meld into crisp days and the memory of warm apple cider doughnuts and fresh apple cider are still in your mind, you remember the ice cold cider you have been saving for just a time as this...




...and it is unpalatable. But it does make a delicious moist turkey.



Apple Cider-Brined Turkey
from Diane Morgan

2/3 c. kosher salt
2/3 c. sugar
6 quarter-size slices fresh ginger or 1 t. ground ginger
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
1 t. black peppercorns, crushed
2 t. whole allspice berries, crushed or 1 t. ground allspice
8 c. apple cider or juice
2 oranges, quartered

In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, put salt, sugar, ginger, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and allspice. Add apple cider or juice and stir to combine. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Boil for 3 min. then remove from heat. Add 4 c. of ice cold water, stir and set aside to cool.

Place plastic turkey-size oven bag inside a second bag, then place in a large stockpot. The stockpot will hold the bags and turkey for you. Position bags so they are wide open and fold the top of bags over the stockpot. Remove turkey from its wrappings. Remove neck and bag of giblets. Stuff main cavity of turkey with orange quarters. Place turkey inside bags. Pour brine over turkey. Add another 2 c. cold water. Draw up top of inner bag, squeezing out as much air as possible; secure it with a twist tie. Do the same for outer bag.  Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.

Just before roasting, remove turkey from brine. Discard bags, brine and any cured herbs or spices remaining on bird. Discard oranges and ginger. Rinse turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Add 1 c. of water to pan. Cover and roast 300-325 until done. Uncover the last few minutes to brown turkey.