Emeril's Brined, Herb-Roasted Turkey

Nov. 21, 2008— -- Emeril's special Thanksgiving recipes come just in time for the holidays. Check out more of his recipes below.

For information on ordering a heritage turkey click here.

Click here for Emeril's Fresh Cranberry Compote recipe.

Click here to find a food bank in your area.

Ingredients

1 (10- to 12-pound) turkey

Brine, see recipe below

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 large yellow onion, cut into eighths

1 large orange, cut into eighths

1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

½ bunch sage

3 or 4 sprigs parsley

1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting

Turkey Broth:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Reserved turkey neck and giblets

1 large carrot, coarsely chopped

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped

1 small bay leaf

3 cups turkey stock, chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

3 cups water

Gravy:

4 cups turkey broth

1 cup dry white wine

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water. Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels both inside and out. Place turkey, breast side down, in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.

For the turkey broth: Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.

To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, food-grade plastic storage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.

Note: If you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

*Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, courtesy of Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Inc.

Want more recipes? Check out GMA's recipe archive by clicking here.