Turkey: not just for Thanksgiving!

I totally baked a turkey on Friday for no reason other than they were on sale at Walmart (so un-Martha and yet she sells like EVERYTHING there).

It was awesome and didn't take too long because it was a small turkey (8 pounds) and I brined - total cook time was about 2 1/2 hours.

BTW: Brining is fantastic, it keeps the turkey moist and cuts down on cooking time. However, the pan drippings can end up being salty and not great for gravy.

Turkey brine:

-1/2 c sea salt
-2 tbsp cracked pepper
-2 tbsp rosemary (dried is fine for all of the herbs in this recipe)
-2 tbsp sage
-2 tbsp thyme
-2 gallons of water

Over medium heat, combine the salt and one gallon of water until the salt it totally dissolved. Pour the warm water into a very large stockpot and add the herbs and one gallon of very cold water.

Rinse your turkey off completely and add to the brine mix - make sure that it's totally submerged. Brine for at least 4 hours in the refridgerator.

Turkey:

-1 large lemon, quartered
-1 or 2 sweet onions, quartered
-5 or 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
-1 stick butter, softened
-2 to 4 tablespoons of herbs de provence

Remove the turkey from the brine mix, rinse very well and pat dry. Stuff with the lemon, garlic and onion.

Mash the butter and herbs together, and generously coat the entire turkey. Try to get it under the skin, which can be tricky but is totally worth it. Truss and put in a roasting pan, then follow whatever turkey roasting rules you go by. I ignore the breast-down method and go straight for a pre-heated oven at 325. Figure out the amount of time needed for the size of your bird, then cut out half an hour (to start) because the brine should cut back on the amount of time it will take. Then, just test for doneness with a meat thermometer until you get the correct temperatures. The breast should be 165 and the leg/thigh 185. Let it rest under tinfoil for several minutes before carving.

Martha Moment: Save the carcass AND the onions/garlic and use it to make stock for turkey soup! We'll be eating turkey for at least another 3 days in my house.