Special Equipment: Scale, Chef Knife, Food Processor, Small Pot, or Large Pot, Twine, Roasting Pan, Thermometer
Serves: between 2 – 10
Level: Medium
Shopping List
shopping list is for turkey recipe, scale down accordingly per chicken & cornish game hen recipes.
Produce
3 Each Garlic Heads
1 Each Onion
1 Stalk Celery
1/2 Bunch Parsley
1 1/2 Bunch Rosemary
3 Bay leaf
1 Bunch Thyme
2 Each Orange
1 Each Grapefruit
Dry Goods
24 Vol. Oz Kosher Salt
7.2 Vol. Oz Light Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoon Coriander, whole
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper, whole
1 Tablespoon Aleppo
Meat
1 (12-20Lb) Turkey
Dairy
1Lb Unsalted Butter
Other
8 Qt Ice
Garlic Butter
yield: 1 Lb
Ingredients
1Lb | 453g Unsalted Butter, room temp
2 Clove | 10g Garlic
1/2 Bunch | 26g Parsley, chopped
1/2 Sprig | 5g Rosemary, chopped
- Using a food processor, add in butter & garlic.
- Puree until smooth.
- Fold in chopped parsley & rosemary.
- Refrigerate or slather on bird when ready.
note: if you don’t have a food processor, mince garlic into a bowl & fold in remaining ingredients.
1 – Turkey
12-20 Lb
Brine Time: 8-12 hr
Ingredients
24 Vol. Oz | 500g Kosher Salt
7.2 Vol. Oz | 140g Light Brown Sugar
5 3/4 Quart | 5100g Water
8 Qt | 4000g Ice
4 Tablespoon | 18g Coriander, whole
1 Tablespoon | 7g Black Pepper, whole
1 Tablespoon | 5g Aleppo
1 head Garlic
3 Bay Leaf
1 Bunch Thyme
1 Bunch Rosemary
1 Each Orange
1 Each Grapefruit
Compound Butter – as needed
Carroll Crew Spice Club
For those who received the November Brine Spice Kit, just add in the entire pack once the water, sugar and salt comes to a boil. Turn off heat & allow spices to steep for 5 minutes, take out citrus & continue with step “5”.

Method
Brining
- In a Large Pot, add water, salt, sugar, coriander, black pepper, aleppo, garlic, & bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil.
- Turn off the heat & add thyme, & rosemary.
- Let steep for 5 minutes.
- Add ice into pot.
- Add in cleaned bird into pot & cover.
- Place in fridge for 12 hours.
- Take bird out of brine, & pat dry with towels.
Buttering
- With your hands, smear a thin layer of garlic butter under the skin of the breast & thighs.
- Apply a thin layer to the exterior of the bird, & smooth out any butter bumps below the skin.
- (Optional) Stuff cavity with 1 celery, 1/2 onion, 1 head of garlic, 1/2 orange.
Trussing
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the bird with legs facing you.
- Fold the wings behind the birds back.
- Cut a piece of twine that is the length of 2 – 2 1/2 yards in length. The length all depends on how big the bird is. Cut a large piece of twine to be safe.
- Fold the twine in half, allowing both ends to meet.
- In your left hand grab the “U” shaped end. In your right grab the 2 ends.
- Come from underneath the legs & sling the two ends through the “U” shaped end. Wrap around & tie a knot
- Take the two ends of the twine & hold them in both hands (left & right side of the legs).
- Cross lines underneath the tail of the bird & tie snug. The tail should rise up toward the legs. (When tightening, keep hands angled toward the lower back of the bird. This will prevent the twine from slipping).
- Bring both strings up from the side of the bird to the crown (where the head would be), & cross to come back down the side to the feet & tail.
- Place in a roasting pan with rack.
Cooking
- Place bird into oven at 425 F for 30 minutes.
- Add water to bottom of the pan. About 1/4 high & not touching the bird.
- When timer is up, reduce temperature to 375 F turn & baste with any extra garlic butter.
- Set timer for 30 minutes.
- When timer is up, turn bird, baste, & insert thermometer into the thickest area of the thigh
- Once temperature reaches 165 degrees F, take the bird out and allow to rest for 15-30 minutes before slicing.
note:
– If the bird isn’t up to temperature & is too brown, place aluminum foil over until it has cooked to temperature .
1 – Chicken
2.5-4 Lb
Brine Time: 8 hr
Ingredients
18 Vol. Oz | 375g Kosher Salt
5.4 Vol. Oz | 105g Light Brown Sugar
4 1/3 Quart | 3835g Water
6 Quart |3007g Ice
2 Tablespoon | 9g Coriander, whole
2 Teaspoon | 3g Black Pepper, whole
2 Teaspoon | 4 g Aleppo
3/4 Head of Garlic
2 Bay Leaf
3/4 Bunch Thyme
3/4 Bunch Rosemary
3/4 Each Orange
3/4 Each Grapefruit
Method
Brine
- In a Medium Pot, add in water, salt, sugar, coriander, black pepper, aleppo, garlic, & bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil.
- Turn off the heat & add thyme, & rosemary.
- Let steep for 5 minutes.
- Add ice into pot.
- Add in cleaned Chicken in pot & cover.
- Place in fridge for 8 hours.
- Take Chicken out of brine, & place onto a rack to dry in the fridge.
Buttering
- With your hands, smear a thin layer of garlic butter under the skin of the breast & thighs.
- Apply a thin layer to the exterior of the bird, & smooth out any butter bumps below the skin.
- (Optional) Stuff cavity with 1 celery, 1/2 onion, 1 head of garlic, 1/2 orange.
Trussing
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the bird with legs facing you.
- Fold the wings behind the birds back.
- Cut a piece of twine that is the length of 2 – 2 1/2 yards in length. The length all depends on how big the bird is. Cut a large piece of twine to be safe.
- Fold the twine in half, allowing both ends to meet.
- In your left hand grab the “U” shaped end. In your right grab the 2 ends.
- Come from underneath the legs & sling the two ends through the “U” shaped end. Wrap around & tie a knot
- Take the two ends of the twine & hold them in both hands (left & right side of the legs).
- Cross lines underneath the tail of the bird & tie snug. The tail should rise up toward the legs. (When tightening, keep hands angled toward the lower back of the bird. This will prevent the twine from slipping).
- Bring both strings up from the side of the bird to the crown (where the head would be), & cross to come back down the side to the feet & tail.
- Place in a roasting pan with rack.
Cooking
- Place bird into oven at 425 F for 15 minutes.
- Add water to bottom of the pan. About 1/4 high & not touching the bird.
- When timer is up, reduce temperature to 375 F turn & baste with any extra garlic butter.
- Set timer for 15 minutes.
- When timer is up, turn bird, baste, & insert thermometer into the thickest area of the thigh.
- Once temperature reaches 165 degrees F, take the bird out and allow to rest for 15-30 minutes before slicing.
note: If the bird isn’t up to temperature & is too brown, place aluminum foil over until it has cooked to temperature .
1 – Cornish Hen
1/2-1 1/2 Lbs
Brine Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
6 Vol. Oz | 125g Kosher Salt
1.8 Vol. Oz | 35g Light Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Quart Quart | 1275g Water
2 Qt | 1000g Ice
1 Tablespoon | 4g Coriander, whole
1 Teaspoon | 1g Black Pepper, whole
1 Teaspoon | 2g Aleppo
1/4 Head of Garlic
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 Bunch Thyme
1/4 Bunch Rosemary
1/4 Each Orange
1/4 Each Grapefruit
Method
Brining
- In a Small Pot, add in water, salt, sugar, coriander, black pepper, aleppo, garlic, & bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil.
- Turn off the heat & add thyme, & rosemary.
- Let steep for 5 minutes.
- Add ice into pot.
- Add in cleaned Cornish Game Hen into pot & cover.
- Place in fridge for 1 hour.
- Take bird out of brine, & pat dry with towels.
Buttering
- With your hands, smear a thin layer of garlic butter under the skin of the breast & thighs.
- Apply a thin layer to the exterior of the bird, & smooth out any butter bumps below the skin.
- (Optional) Stuff cavity with 1/4 celery, 1 slice onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 slice of orange.
Trussing
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the bird with legs facing you.
- Fold the wings behind the birds back.
- Cut a piece of twine that is the length of 2 – 2 1/2 yards in length. The length all depends on how big the Hen is. Cut a large piece of twine to be safe.
- Fold the twine in half, allowing both ends to meet.
- In your left hand grab the “U” shaped end. In your right grab the 2 ends.
- Come from underneath the legs & sling the two ends through the “U” shaped end. Wrap around & tie a knot
- Take the two ends of the twine & hold them in both hands (left & right side of the legs).
- Cross lines underneath the tail of the bird & tie snug. The tail should rise up toward the legs. (When tightening, keep hands angled toward the lower back of the bird. This will prevent the twine from slipping).
- Bring both strings up from the side of the bird to the crown (where the head would be), & cross to come back down the side to the feet & tail.
- Place in a roasting pan with rack.
Cooking
- Place bird into oven at 425 F for 15 minutes.
- Add water to bottom of the pan. About 1/4 high & not touching the bird.
- When timer is up, reduce temperature to 375 F turn & baste with any extra garlic butter.
- Set timer for 20 minutes.
- When timer is up, turn hen, baste, & insert thermometer into the thickest area of the thigh.
- Once temperature reaches 165 degrees F, take the bird out & allow to rest for 15-30 minutes before slicing.
note: If the bird isn’t up to temperature & is too brown, place aluminum foil over until it has cooked to temperature.
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