Lunch: Herb-Brined Creole Turkey Recipe | MyRecipes

Ingredients

1 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
8 garlic cloves, crushed
12 cups apple cider or apple juice
1 (12- to 14-pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
1/4 cup Creole seasoning
1/4 cup melted butter

Instructions

Combine first 5 ingredients and 6 cups apple cider in a stockpot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in remaining 6 cups apple cider. Cool mixture completely.
Rinse turkey with cold water. Place in a turkey-size oven bag, and place bagged turkey inside a second bag; add cider mixture to first bag with turkey. Secure bags. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally. (If space is lacking in your refrigerator, secure bags, place in a beverage cooler, and cover with ice. Check periodically and replace ice, if necessary.)
Remove turkey from bags, and discard brine. Rinse turkey with cold water; drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Loosen and lift skin from turkey with fingers, without totally detaching skin; spread 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning under skin. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon seasoning inside cavity. Sprinkle turkey skin with remaining 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning. Let turkey stand 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 °. Place turkey on a roasting rack, breast side up; brush entire bird with melted butter. Roast about 3 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of thigh registers 180 °. (Shield turkey with aluminum foil after 1 hour to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.) Brush with pan juices occasionally during last 60 minutes of cooking. Let stand 15 minutes before carving.