They're gonna gobble it up

I know it's been a while, but I hope you will forgive me. I was knee-deep in Thanksgiving. I brined a turkey for the first time, after years of hearing about it. I know most of you wonder, "Why brine?" What brining does is it enables the turkey to retain its moisture as it cooks. Through the process of osmosis, the brine solution (salt-based) penetrates the fibers of the turkey meat. When you remove the turkey from the brine, the solution remains in the turkey and helps to keep it moist. You are also imparting some flavor into the turkey, so the result is the most moist, flavorful turkey you have ever tasted.

Please don't be scammed into buying all those fancy brine mixes that cost a mint. Here's the solution:

TURKEY BRINE:

4 quarts water (24 cups)
3 1/2 cups kosher or sea salt
4 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
3 tablespoons cracked peppercorns
10 cloves garlic
5 bay leaves, crumbled coarsely

Wash and dry a cooler which is large enough to hold the turkey you will be placing in the brine. (Or use a food grade plastic bag made for the purpose, available at your supermarket; this method will require only half the amount of brine.)

Prepare brine by combining ingredients in a stainless steel pot (do not use aluminum). Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until all of the sugar and salt are dissolved. Allow brine too cool. Pour into cooler (or bag, if using).

Add 2-3 quarts of ice; enough to bring the temperature of the brine to about 35F degrees. (Or, if using a plastic bag, add 1 1/2 quarts cold water and refrigerate the brine until it reaches this temperature.)

Remove giblets, neck, etc. from inside turkey and refrigerate to use later on for making gravy, stuffing, or broth. Wash turkey well, inside and out. Rub inside of turkey liberally with additional kosher or sea salt.

Prepare sufficient brine to submerge turkey entirely. Recipe may be doubled, if required (or halved, if using a plastic bag for the brining).

When the brine is cold, add the turkey to the cooler or plastic bag. Keep the turkey cold (35F or below). This can be accomplished by adding ice, or placing the cooler or plastic bag in a cold place. Check temperature to be sure it does not go above 40F. (Note: A frozen turkey can be brined until it has thawed). Brine for 1 - 2 days.

When ready to roast the turkey, remove from brine and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Pat dry with a clean towel. Cook the turkey according to the way that you always do. I like to cook it with the breast down, flipping it during the last hour of cooking and broil in the last few minutes to crisp the breast skin.

TURKEY SOUP

But the real reason I wrote this post was to to tell you about the turkey soup I just made. My grandmother taught me how to make it a long time ago, and it is so simple and so yum.

Take whatever turkey and bones you have left. Put them in a pot and add enough water to cover the carcass. Add a couple of onions, some bay leaves, celery, carrots 3-5 bullion cubes (depending upon your taste and how much turkey you have left on the bones...be conservative. You can always add more later) and fresh thyme. Reserve the salt and pepper until later, so you can taste it and add spices intelligently. Cook on low for several hours (perhaps even overnight) until the turkey meat falls off the bones. Add more celery and carrots if you care to (the ones added at the beginning may be mush by now). Then you can start to season to your heart's content. At the last stage, add noodles and let them cook in the broth. Remove the bay leaves, as well as the bones and skin before service. Freeze it for a rainy day or the cold and flu season in portion-controlled plastic bags, if you choose. There's nothing like home made soup on a cold winter day.