Goodmorning everybody from white France!

It's been snowing a lot and the whole western of Europe has troubles because of it. No trains, planes are delayed or not leaving and the roads are terrible. The countries are out of salt to put on the roads.....

I have a question concerning preparing the turkey. I found a recipe that says that you'll have to dunck the turkey into brine for 6 hours or so. It would give you a more crispy skin...
Are there any members that prepare it like this?
I am a bit reluctant to do this. I use to put bacon all over the turkey.
My children and grandchildren are comming (8 hrs drive) from Holland to France to spent New Years Eve with us.
Today also the Grace frame was delivered so after the children have left we will start to build the frame.....
It's so exciting! and I think we'll need two days to achieve it.
Thanks everybody! Gerry

I've never heard of "turkey dunking" but then I'm a very simple cook...but I have basted often with butter and it turned out very crispy. I've even added different spices to the butter to enhance the taste

Hello there,

Brining doesn't help crisp the skin, in my opiion, it odes help make a moister turkey. However, it is not necessary.

I usually just season the turkey with salt and pepper, and then give it a good massage with butter. Then roast it - uncovered all the way.
Oh yes, of course I stuff it as well.

in the oven he goes, I baste him occasionally, and then enjoy the lovely roast turkey aroma wafting through the house.


enjoy!

I do 'brine' the turkey. It does help to keep the moisture in the bird. Though, I don't do it except for 2-3 hrs.. The way I do the brining process is as follows: (you need a deep vessel for the brining, so I clean and disinfect my sink and rinse it thoroughly)~ then, first make sure the bird is clean inside and out with no 'pin feathers' or striny parts and then rinse inside and outside; liberally pour salt into the cavities and onto the outside and rub it in; then turn the cold water on and try to cover the bird with the water and let sit in the water for whatever length of time you wish. If you can't cover the bird with the water then turn it over every 1/2 hr. After the brining time has finished, I rinse the bird very thoroughly inside and out many times, each time in fresh water. Pat dry and proceed with your normal way of cooking the bird.

I always brine my bird. It makes for the moistest most tender turkey you have ever sunk your teeth into. Here is my favorite brine recipe. I got it off of cookinglight.com

Here is what they say about it....

"Brining makes for a juicier bird, and the subtle flavors of the brine soak into the turkey. Kosher salt works well for the brine because it dissolves more easily than table salt. If you have time and refrigerator space, the brining procedure is worthwhile. If not, the turkey will still be quite good."

Here is the brine recipe:
Ingredients
BRINE:
8 quarts water
3/4 cup kosher salt
3/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons black peppercorns
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Preparation
To prepare brine, combine first 6 ingredients in a large stockpot, stirring until salt dissolves.
To prepare turkey, remove and reserve giblets and neck from turkey. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Add turkey to pot, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours, turning occasionally.

I have made this every year since the recipe first appeared in Cooking Light magazine (probably around 7 years ago). I roast the bird in a slow oven as well. Usually around 325. Try this you won't be disappointed. I also use less salt then the recipe calls for. Between 1/4 and 1/2 cup because I don't have a stock pot big enough to hold the bird and 8 quarts of water. So I use less water and less salt but keep all the other ingredients the same amount. I usually do any where from 12 to 14lb turkey

Where have I been? I've never heard of brining a turkey.

Alton Brown is the brining king. He has really popularized this technique over the past few years.

Brining is very popular now. Here's another recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2...-turkey-brine/

Bon appetit!

Well, some of us learn something new everyday.

Wow, what a method!! I'm 77 and never heard of this before.
It does sound neat. I may try that on a big chicken in a few days.