Turkey Brine

The Best Holiday Turkey Brine

If you like your poultry tender and succulent, then you need to add this Turkey Brine to your things to do list this holiday season.  A good brine will add so much moisture and flavor to your roasted bird, you’ll never again cook it with out one.  This recipe adds a light yet fruity bouquet to the pallet that really compliments the Turkey.  There’s a few other ingredients that might surprise you but overall, I really think you’ll be pleased with the results.

Does a Turkey Brine Really Help?

A Turkey Brine is more about the salt than anything.  All of the flavors help but the salt goes through and through, constantly repeating.  This helps the bird retain water and since water has memory, all of those ingredients that season the water also season the bird.  So, a brine absolutely makes all of the difference in the world.  Unless you don’t like a crispy skin, basting isn’t even necessary.  And don’t feel like you have to add all of these ingredients.  Technically, the salt is enough but feel free to play with it a bit and find your own ingredients and write your own recipe.  You can even refer to my Tin can Chicken Brine recipe if you’d like.

Turkey Brine Ingredients:

1 gal water
2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Table Salt
2 tbsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Clove
5 Garlic Cloves, crushed
5 Bay Leaves, dry or fresh
2 Sprigs Rosemary
Peel from 2 large Oranges
3 to 4 lbs Ice

1 Turkey

Be sure to follow the instructions in the Turkey Brine video tutorial and continue with the Roasted Turkey and Gravy recipe, coming up next.

UPDATE:

I have since used this recipe with some substitutions and one particular additive that yielded better results in both the flavor and juiciness of the bird. The Turkey I brined and roasted was barley over 19 lbs and, for some reason, cooked way faster than I expected.

I exchanged the orange peel for lemon, the salt for it’s weight in pickling salt and I added in approximately 1 dozen Allspice seeds. What a difference it made. I also crushed, ground and sprinkled allspice powder over the skin of the turkey, before roasting. I stuffed the bird with Parsley only and a full cube of butter, then baked with a lid at 275° F. To my surprise, the bird was fully cooked in under 3 hours. It should’ve taken twice that long; according to the experts. 20 to 25 minutes per lbs. The outside of the bird was perfectly cooked with an even golden brown tone. I didn’t roast at a higher temp before hand, rotate the turkey of baste either. One of the Best Turkey’s I have ever made.

Scotch Eggs

Hard Boiled Scotch Eggs

I love Scotch Eggs and if you are at all a fan of breakfast food, you’ll love them too if you don’t already.  What this recipe consists of is basically just a boiled egg that is wrapped in a thin layer of sausage, then rolled in seasoned bread crumbs and fried.  They are very simple to make and very tasty.  Though, I do prepare a hard boiled version of this recipe, it is very common for the eggs to have a runny yoke in the middle.  So if that’s something you prefer, you will most likely have to cook soft boiled eggs instead and that’s entirely up to you.

How To Make Scotch Eggs

For this Scotch Eggs Recipe, start by boiling the eggs, then set out 3 bowls for dipping.  Season the flour with the salt, pepper and paprika in one bowl.  In another, beat the eggs to make a wash.  In the third bowl you will add the bread crumbs.  If you are using the stuffing, add the crumbs to a food processor with the parsley and pulse until smooth.  Cut the Sausage into 12 equal portions, then press and roll flat until each is about 1/4 of an inch thick, then wrap around each boiled egg pinching off the excess and pressing with both palms together with light pressure to form each shape.  Then roll in flour, then the egg wash and bread crumbs, again applying pressure with both palms but firmly to assure the crumbs stick.  Then let them rest for 5 minutes before frying.  For deep fryers, cook at 350 for 3 1/2 Minutes.  For pan frying, cook in 1 1/2 inches of oil for about 8 minutes, on low heat, turning over once.  Dab on paper towels then serve your Scotch Eggs or refrigerate.

Scotch Eggs Ingredients:Herb Seasoned Stuffing

1 dozen Boiled Eggs
1 1/2 lbs Pork Sausage
2 eggs, for wash
1 cup Seasoned Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/3 tsp Paprika
1 cup Seasoned Stuffing Bread Crumbs, (or Panko)
1 pull fresh Parsley, 2 tbsp worth
Oil for frying

Be sure to watch the short video tutorial demonstrating this Scotch Eggs recipe.

Rack of Lamb with a Mint Panko Crust

Rack of LambTraditional Rack of Lamb!

Who can deny a Rack of Lamb for Easter or for Christmas?  It’s tradition, isn’t it? Well not in my family.  Not that we don’t celebrate these holidays or enjoy many of it’s benefits, but the whole Rack of Lamb mystery seemed to evade our house when I was growing up.  I didn’t understand until recently, and unfortunately I haven’t found another way around it.  An eight rib rack of lamb can run you upwards of $45 bucks, easily.  That’s about 15 bucks a pound considering the average rack weighs about 3 plus pounds.  But I figure, much like Christmas, you’ve got to enjoy life and splurge now and again.  So if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right here in the Poor Man’s Gourmet Kitchen!Rack of Lamb in a Mint Panko Crust

Don’t let the idea of this recipe intimidate you; not one bit.  This recipe is very simple, and it breaks down like this.  First, clean the meat.  Cut and trim away the flap and some of the fat.  Season then sear.  Smear with Mustard.  Roll in the seasoned bread crumbs and bake.  Sound easy enough?  Good, because it really is, and my video instructional, as always will walk you through it step by step and show you how simplified this rack of lamb recipe is.  Not to mention how proud of your self you’ll feel when you take your bow from the applause you receive from your guests.

Rack of Lamb Ingredients:

1 Trimmed Rack of Lamb
1 cup of Panko Bread Crumbs
1 cup Mint leaves
2 green onions
Horseradish Mustard or Honey Dejon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste (1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper)
Orange Chile Sauce for dipping or Mint Jelly