Perfectly Brined Christmas Turkey by LagomChef

To ensure your Christmas turkey emerges from the oven succulent and full of flavour, a few hours of brining (ideally overnight) infuses the meat with subtle seasoning and locks in precious moisture. The result? A tender, juicy, show-stopping turkey centerpiece that will practically melt in your mouth.

Tender, juicy turkey brined for extra flavour by Martyn Odelle, AKA LagomChef.

Instructions

1 - We are going to work backwards here so we know how much water we need. So, find a container big enough to fit your turkey and measure roughly how much water you need to cover the turkey.

For easy math, I am going to give you an example of 1L or 1000ml

2 - I like to make a 5% salt brine, so measure 50g of Cornish Sea Salt Crystals and put it into a saucepan with a little water (say 100ml) and pop it on the stove to dissolve. Here you can add your chosen aromatics as well.

3 - Once dissolved, mix this with the remaining cold water (900ml). You will now have a 5% salt brine that is quite cold and can be used immediately. If you boil 1000ml of water to dissolve the salt, you will need to wait a long time for the liquid to cool before being able to pour it over the turkey.

4 - When the liquid is cold, pour over the turkey and pop in the fridge, a rough rule of thumb 1 hour for each 500g of turkey. You can also use the Smeg Vacuum Drawer to bag your turkey and get the ultimate moist, brine.

5 - When your turkey has had its allotted time, drain, pat it dry and rub with a little bit of oil. Set your Smeg Omnichef Oven to 180°C on the Turbo Roasting Function and insert your Multi-Point Temperature Probe. Roast the turkey until it hits an internal temperature of 70°C.

If you’re using a regular oven,  roast at 200°C until your turkey hits an internal temperature of 70 °C. 

6 - Pull the turkey out and leave to rest for half the amount of time you cooked it for, covered in foil.

7 - Once rested, slice and enjoy.