How to Make the Most Flavorful and Moist Thanksgiving Turkey You've Ever Tasted

Thanksgiving makes me giddy. A month before the big day I sit down with my recipes and plan the most decadent meal. The item I strive ever year to improve - my turkey. Each year I try to make a more flavorful and moist bird. Here is my tried and true recipe.

A few years ago, I was watching the food channel and saw one of the chefs talking about brining a bird. The main philosophy is that you actually seal the outside with a concoction of sugar, salt and water, sealing in the moisture.

When you decide to brine a turkey, make sure you have a large enough pot to fully submerge your bird. One year I didn't have room for a large pot in my refrigerator so I actually put the turkey in a garbage bag, filled the bag with brine, put the entire turkey (in the bag) in the roasting pot and tied the bag to the top shelf of my fridge so as the turkey was fully submerged. You should keep your turkey in the brine for about 24 hours.

A simple brine recipes is this:

4 quarts water
1-cup sugar
1 ½ cups kosher salt
-
Mix the ingredients together until dissolved

Now, although these ingredients are the key ingredients to making effective brine, for a tastier recipe, I usually add several cloves of crushed garlic, pepper, a few chopped onions, and seasonings like Rosemary, Cilantro, and Thyme. Adjust your brine according to your taste.

Before adding brine to your turkey, rinse your bird off in cold water and remove the innards. You can set these aside for later preparation or throw them away. Pat your turkey dry. Put the turkey in the pot and pour the brine mixture over top of it ensuring that the whole turkey is submerged.

When you remove the turkey from the brine before cooking, throw away the brine solution. It's tempting to use it while cooking, but it will be laden with bacteria. Rinse off your bird again in cold water. Don't worry - you won't wash away the brine flavor. Pat it dry.