Life of brine: RecipeTin Eats shares the simple secret to succulent roast turkey every time

Name: Life of brine: RecipeTin Eats shares the simple secret to succulent roast turkey every time
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 20-25 as part of a banquet
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 turkey breast (about 2.5kg), skin-on, wing bone in, back bone off; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

JB’s secret brine recipe guarantees this will be a Christmas lunch game changer.

Nagi Maehashi and Jean-Baptiste Alexandre

December 4, 2023

Brined and glazed turkey breast.PHOTO: Rob Palmer; STYLING: Emma Knowles

Time:2 hours +Serves:20-25 as part of a banquet

This recipe will change Australia’s Christmas turkey game. Because here’s the thing about turkey: it’s really lean, which means it can go from perfect to dry and overcooked within minutes. It also doesn’t hold up to waiting around well.

Unless, of course, you use the secret Christmas turkey brine developed by RecipeTin Eats’ head chef Jean-Baptiste ‘JB’ Alexandre. Not only does it infuse the bird with lovely Christmassy flavours but it locks in juices, so this will be the most succulent turkey you’ve ever had. If you don’t have all the brine aromatics, that’s OK. Just be sure to use the water, salt and sugar as they’re what keep your turkey succulent.

Jean-Baptiste ‘JB’ Alexandre with his glazed turkey breast. PHOTO: Rob Palmer; STYLING: Emma Knowles

But don’t skip the shiny glaze. It’s really special and doubles as the sauce – and nobody should be short-changed with sauce on Christmas Day. Also, pretty please get a meat thermometer. Christmas is not a day to wing it.

Make-ahead tips

Brine the turkey the day before.
Make the turkey glaze the day before, ready to baste on the day (reheat baste to loosen).
Roast the turkey on the day. Poultry is at its best freshly cooked.

Ingredients

1 turkey breast (about 2.5kg), skin-on, wing bone in, back bone off
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

JB's secret turkey brine

3 litres cold tap water
225g (¾ cup) cooking salt, NOT table salt
200g (1 cup tightly packed) brown sugar
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, smashed
10 sprigs fresh parsley
5 fresh bay leaves (or 3 dried)
5 sprigs fresh thyme (or 3 tsp dried)
3 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp dried)
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp cardamom seeds
1 tbsp allspices
14 whole cloves
2 oranges, cut in half, juice squeezed into the brine and squeezed orange added too

Christmas glaze

2½ cups orange juice (fresh, no added sugar) + ½ cup at the end to adjust the sauce (about 7-8 oranges)
320g (1⅓ cup) maple syrup (or honey)
320ml (1⅓ cup) apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
200g (1 cup tightly packed) brown sugar
140g (½ cup) Dijon mustard
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp ground allspice (or mixed spice)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cooking salt
2 tsp cracked black pepper
4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

Spice rub

2 tsp cooking salt
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground fennel
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground cloves

To garnish (optional)

extra orange wedges or peel
cinnamon sticks
fresh thyme sprigs

Method

To brine the turkey

Pour about ½ of the water into a pot large enough to contain the brine and (later) the submerged turkey. Add the remaining brine ingredients and bring to the boil, stirring until the salt has dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour in the remaining water. Allow it to cool completely (I let it cool for 30 minutes then refrigerate 1½ hours), then submerge the turkey in the brine, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours. (Weigh the turkey down with a small plate, if needed.)

To make the Christmas glaze

Mix all the glaze ingredients except the butter in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until it is the consistency of honey (it makes about 3 cups).

To prepare the turkey

Remove the turkey from the brine 2 hours before cooking. Pat it dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 220C fan-forced (240C conventional). Line a large roasting tray with foil and place a rack on it (if you don’t have one, use scrunched-up balls of foil).

To make the Spice rub

Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl. Rub the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the turkey breast then sprinkle the Christmas rub evenly all over.

To roast the turkey

Step 1
Place the turkey on the rack, skin side up. Place in the oven then turn the temperature down to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional). Roast for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Remove from the oven, dab with glaze then return to the oven for a further 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 65C at the thickest part, dabbing with glaze every 15 minutes.
Step 3
Switch the oven to grill, dab with glaze one more time and finish under the grill to caramelise for 3-5 minutes – DO NOT leave the oven during this step; the glaze burns easily.
Step 4
Rest the meat for 20 minutes while you finish the sauce (the internal temperature should climb to 71C).

To finish the sauce

Heat the leftover glaze in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the extra ½ cup of orange juice while whisking until you get a nice sauce consistency. Bring to a simmer and while still whisking, add the cold butter cubes a few at a time. The butter and juice will give the sauce a nice smoothness and brightness.

To serve

Place the turkey on a serving dish. Decorate with orange wedges or peel, cinnamon sticks and thyme sprigs, if desired. Serve the sauce on the side. Slice turkey thinly and pour over the sauce to eat.