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Turkey in orange-tea brine with porchetta flavor in the oven

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Ingredients:

    Turkey and brine

  • 5 oranges
  • 2 tbsp. coarse salt
  • 1 cup bourbon
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 12 bags of plain black tea
  • 12 black peppercorns
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 turkey, 15-17 lbs (6.5-7.5 kg), butterflyed (not kosher or marinated)

    Herbed butter for porchetta

  • 220 rubles of butter, room temperature
  • 5 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

  1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the oranges in wide strips, pressing gently to avoid pulling in any white pith. Set the zest aside and juice the oranges into a medium saucepan. Add the zest, salt, bourbon, sugar, tea bags, peppercorns, bay leaf, cloves, and 4 cups (1 L) water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the brine sit for 30 minutes. Transfer the brine to a plastic container or saucepan large enough to hold the turkey, add 20 cups (5 L) ice water, and stir to combine.
  2. Submerge the turkey in the brine, adding more ice water if necessary. Weight the bird with a plate to keep it submerged, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
  3. Drain the brine, rinse, and pat dry the turkey. Place it on a large cutting board lined with paper towels and let it rest on the counter until it reaches room temperature, about 1 hour.
  4. Spiced oil:

    In a medium bowl, combine butter, garlic, rosemary, fennel, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until smooth.
  5. Position the oven rack on the middle shelf and preheat the oven to 190°C.
  6. Pat the turkey skin dry again and rub the herb oil evenly over the entire surface, working it under the breast skin. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan as flat as possible. If your roasting pan is a bit small, tuck the wings behind the back, resting the legs on the ledge of the roasting pan. Place a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven to catch the drippings.
  7. Roast the turkey, basting with the rendered fat every 30 minutes or so, until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165°F (74°C), 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Transfer the bird to a cutting board and let rest for 30 minutes before serving.
Nutritional value per serving: Calories 1001, Total Fat 46g, Saturated Fat 19g, Protein 106g, Carbohydrates 38g, Fiber 2g, Cholesterol 397mg, Sodium 1745mg, Sugars 33g.

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