Juniper Brine Recipes

TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Bring 1 quart water, salt, bay leaves, and spices to a simmer, stirring until salt has dissolved. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Line a 5-gallon container with a large brining or oven-roasting bag. Place turkey in bag. Add salt mixture, remaining 6 quarts (24 cups) water, and the other ingredients. Tie bag; if turkey is not submerged, weight it with a plate. Refrigerate 24 hours, flipping turkey once.

JUNIPER-BRINED ROAST TURKEY WITH CHANTERELLE MUSHROOM GRAVY

Steps:

• Combine the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, sage, thyme, and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside.
• Position a rack on the second-lowest level in the oven and preheat to 500°F. Have ready a large roasting pan with a roasting rack, preferably V-shaped, set in the pan.
• Put 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture inside the neck cavity and 1/2 cup inside the chest cavity of the turkey. Scatter the remainder on the bottom of the roasting pan and add 1 cup water to the pan. Truss the turkey. Using a pastry brush, brush the turkey with half of the melted butter. Place the turkey, breast side down, on the roasting rack. Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Baste the turkey with the pan juices and roast for 30 minutes longer.
• Remove the turkey from the oven. Using silicone oven mitts, regular oven mitts covered with aluminum foil, or wads of paper towels, turn the turkey breast side up. (It won't be very hot at this point.) Baste with the pan juices and the remaining melted butter, and return the turkey to the oven. Continue to roast, basting with the pan juices again after 45 minutes. At this point, check the internal temperature of the turkey by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone. (As a point of reference, when the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 125°F, the turkey is about 1 hour away from being done. Of course, roasting times will vary, depending on the size of the bird, its temperature when it went into the oven, whether or not it is stuffed, and your particular oven and the accuracy of the thermostat.) The turkey is done when the instant-read thermometer registers 160° to 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of a thigh away from the bone.
• When the turkey is done, tilt the body so the juices from the main cavity run into the pan. Transfer to a carving board or serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let the turkey rest for 30 to 40 minutes before carving, to allow the juices to redistribute. (The internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees while the turkey rests.)
• Strain the juices, vegetables, and browned bits from the roasting pan through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large glass measuring cup. Set aside and allow the fat to rise to the top. Spoon off the fat. The pan juices from a brined turkey are usually too salty to add to gravy, so I refrigerate it and add it to the water for making stock from the carcass; the juices provide additional flavor and the salt is diluted by the water.
• Carve the turkey. Serve, accompanied by the Chanterelle Mushroom Gravy.

JUNIPER BRINE

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients in a 3-4 quart saucepan.
• Add 8 cups of water and stir to combine; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve.
• Boil for 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
• Add 4 cups of ice water, stir, then set aside to cool.
• Have a heavy roasting pan ready and place the 2 oven cooking bags inside which should be nested in a double-layer.
• Open the bags wide, and roll down the tops to form a collar (helps keep the bag open).
• Remove the turkey from its wrapper, remove the giblets (store separately), and rinse and prepare bird.
• Place the turkey upright inside the bags with the legs pointing up; and pour the juniper brine over the top, and add an additional 2 cups of cold water.
• Draw up the inner cooking bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and secure it closed with the twist-tie; do the same for the outer bag.
• Place the turkey breast side down in the roasting pan and refrigerate for 12-24 hours, turning 3-4 times while it is brining.
• Just prior to roasting, remove the turkey from the brine.
• Discard the bags, all herbs and spices, and the used brine; rinse the bird under cold water and pat dry with paper toweling.
• Air-dry turkey for 4-6 hours under refrigeration (before cooking), for a crispier crust when roasting.
• The turkey is now ready to be roasted.

JUNIPER BRINE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, stir together the salt, sugar, cloves, juniper berries, peppercorns, and allspice. Add the sage leaves, thyme, and bay leaves along with the hot water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the ice water and stir to cool the mixture. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
• Proceed with brining the turkey .
• Cook’s Note
• The easiest way to crush whole spices is to use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. If you do not have either of these kitchen tools, place the whole spices in a heavy lock-top plastic bag, seal the bag while pressing out all the air, and pound them with the bottom of a small, heavy saucepan until coarsely crushed.

PRIMETIME PASTRAMI

Steps:

• For the brine: In a large stockpot, add half of the water, the brown sugar, kosher salt, curing salt, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, juniper berries, chile flakes, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and star anise and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 30 minutes. Add the remaining water with some ice to chill the brine.
• For the rub: Grind the peppercorns, coriander and juniper until crushed but still a little chunky. Add to a mixing bowl. Add the salt, brown sugar, chile flakes and granulated garlic and stir to combine.
• For the pastrami: First, clean all the fat off the brisket including the "V" between the two muscles, then follow the fat between the two muscles and separate them making a flat and a cap.
• Transfer the brine to a large hotel pan or roasting pan. Add the brisket and refrigerate at least 5 days and no more than 10 days. Make sure the brisket is stirred once a day to get an evenly brined brisket.
• After a minimum of 5 days, prepare a smoker for 225 degrees F.
• Remove the pastrami, rinse it and blot dry with paper towels. Thoroughly rub the brined brisket with the pastrami rub. Place in smoker and cook for 8 hours until the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

EASY CITRUS TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Combine water, broth, oranges, onion, limeade concentrate, orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, rum, salt, garlic, black pepper, thyme, parsley, juniper berries, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover pot. Allow to cool completely, at least 1 hour.