Sunday, November 25, 2007

Roasted Turkey Breast

This is the turkey recipe that we've used the last two years. We think it is delicious. The turkey turns out extremely juicy. Who doesn't like turkey juice? Okay, that makes it sound gross and it's not. It really isn't. Just try it and you'll see. Also, don't be scared off by the maple syrup thing. It doesn't taste like you are trying to make pancakes out of turkey. I promise!! Am I selling this or what?

For the Brine-
Dissolve:
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups hot water

Stir in:
2 cups apple juice
4 cups ice

For the Turkey-
Trim; Submerge in Brine:
1 turkey breast (6-8 pounds), bone in

Roast; Baste with:
1/4 cup maple syrup (the real deal, no fake stuff PLEASE)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Dissolve salt and brown sugar in hot water in a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag.

Stir in apple juice and ice.

Trim excess rib and wing sections from the breast (save for making turkey stock for the gravy if you so desire). For easy carving, remove the wishbone (we didn't this year and it was fine). Submerge the breast in the brine and refrigerate until ready to roast, about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375.

Roast turkey breast side up on a rack over a shallow roasting pan. After one hour, baste breast with the maple-butter mixture. Baste every 15 minutes until the temperature of the breast reaches 165. Remove the breast from the oven, tent with foil, and let rest 15-20 minutes before slicing. (Plan on 1 1/2 - 2 hours roasting time)

3 comments:

Carol said...

Thanks so much for posting this recipe, Mary. We're so excited to try it! (Should I have a rack that comes with my roasting pan?)

Heather said...

does the salt have to be kosher? :)

Jan said...

This is a great recipe. I kept forgetting to baste every 15 minutes, so I'll work on that next time. Thanks for the recipe.