Cider Brined, Herb Buttered Martha Roasted Turkey - The Full Monte

So you want the full Monte do you? This is it. My obsessive daughter (Christine at 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic) who we sometimes call Little Miss Martha has been doing turkeys for years. She has combined every method of turkey enhancement into one grand method. The Marthe Stewart recipes were The Perfect Turkey, Turkey 101 and the Herb Butter Turkey. The cider brine from epicurious.com and Martha combined.


Start with a supped up brine. Add herb butter under the skin. Add a butter rub, stuff with chopped apple and onions. Now baste with wine and butter and you have the full Monte.

Rating:

 

Melt in your mouth tender and moist. With a wonderful taste. You will love it.

Day 1 (the day before the feast)

Herb butter

Start with one pound unsalted butter at room temperature and 1/4 oz each of oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme

 Prepare all the spices by chopping them.

Mix together with the butter.

Place in 1 gallon zip lock, form into a log, seal and freeze overnight.

The Brine

Total 8 quarts (32 cups) liquid ( 2 qts apple cider or juice and rest water)

1 1/2 cups kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp peppercorns and 2 Tbsp allspice, combine and coarsely crush

6 slices ginger( or 2 tsps powdered)

8 whole cloves

Combine all of the above ingredients into a stockpot on the stove.  Let boil 10 minutes, then cool.  Clean and place turkey in brining container (I love big plastic bags, the Ziplocs are great)

Add 3 oranges, quartered and water/ice to cover the turkey.  Seal and store in a cold location for 12-24 hours.

Feast Day (day #2)

 Preheat oven to 425. Remove turkey from brine and rinse under running water.

 Remove the herb butter from the freezer and cut into 1/2 inch slices with a large chef knife.

 Make large "pockets" over the breast of your bird.

 Stuff the pockets with the herb butter. Use toothpicks to close the pockets.

 Stuff the bird with two quartered apples and one large onion chopped into 1/8 chunks.

 Tuck the tips of the wings under the bird.

 Place a couple of cut carrots and a couple of celery stalks cut up around the bird. Add some sage and thyme around and into the bird.

Smear the bird with about one stick of butter.

 Combine 3/4 pound of butter with 1 bottle of sweeter white wine in a pan. Heat until butter is melted.

 Use a piece of cheesecloth that is big enough to cover the bird. Soak in the butter wine mixture.

 Cover the bird with the cheesecloth.  Place bird in oven.

 After 30 minutes. Baste the cheesecloth with more of the wine/butter solution. TURN OVEN DOWN TO 350.

Continue to baste every 30 minutes until internal temp of breast is 140 (about 2 1/2 hour depending on bird size). Remove cover and continue to cook (with basting every 30 minutes or so) until internal temp of at least 160 breast and 180 thigh. This was just over 3 hours for our 12 pounder here.

Remove from oven and place on cutting board and tent with foil for at least 30 minutes.

Cider Brined, Herb Buttered Martha Roasted Turkey - The Full Monte

by DrDan at 101 Cooking for Two November-24-2011

So you want the full Monte do you? This is it. Start with a supped up brine. Add herb butter under the skin. Add a butter rub, stuff with chopped apple and onions. Now baste with wine and butter and you have the full Monte.

Ingredients

Herb butter

• one pound unsalted butter
• 1/4 oz oregano
• 1/4 oz rosemary
• 1/4 oz sage
• 1/4 oz thyme

The Brine

• 12-18 pound Turkey
• 2 qts apple cider or juice
• 6 qts water
• 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 T peppercorns
• 2 T allspice
• 6 slices or 2 t powder ginger
• 8 whole cloves
• 3 quartered orangeDay #2
• two quartered apples
• one large onion cut into 1/8 chunks
• 2 large carrots cut into sticks
• 2 stalks celery cut into sticks
• 10 to 20 pieces thyme
• 10 to 20 pieces sage
• 1 lb butter
• 1 bottle white wine

Instructions

1) Start with one pound unsalted butter at room temperature and 1/4 oz each of oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme2) Prepare all the spices by chopping them. Mix together with the butter.3) Place in 1 gallon zip lock, form into a log, seal and freeze overnight.4) Combine 2 T of peppercorns and allspice and crush coarsely.5) Combine 8 qts of liquid. 2 qts should be apple cider or juice along with 6 qts water, 1 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup sugar, the crushed peppercorn and allspice, 6 slices (or 2 t ginger powder) and 8 whole cloves. Boil for 10 minutes.6) Allow liquid to cool completely7) Clean and place turkey in brining container (I love big plastic bags, the Ziplocs are great)8) Add 3 oranges, quartered and water/ice to cover the turkey. Seal and store in a cold location for 12-24 hours.9) Day #2 Feast Day. Start with preheating oven to 425. Remove turkey from brine and rinse under running water.10) Remove the herb butter from the freezer and cut into 1/2 inch slices with a large chef knife. 11) Make large "pockets" over the breast of your bird. Stuff the pockets with the herb butter. Use toothpicks to close the pockets.12) Stuff the bird with two quartered apples and one large onion chopped into 1/8 chunks.13) Tuck the tips of the wings under the bird. Place a couple of cut carrots and a couple of celery stalks cut up around the bird. Add some sage and thyme around and into the bird.14) Smear the bird with about one stick of butter. 15) Combine 3/4 pound of butter with 1 bottle of sweeter white wine in a pan. Heat until butter is melted. 16) Use a piece of cheese cloth that is big enough to cover the bird. Soak in the butter wine mixture.17) Cover the bird with the cheesecloth. Place bird in oven.18) After 30 minutes. Baste the cheesecloth with more of the wine/butter solution. TURN OVEN DOWN TO 350.19) Continue to baste every 30 minutes until internal temp of breast is 140 (about 2 1/2 hour depending on bird size). Remove cover and continue to cook (with basting every 30 minutes or so) until internal temp of at least 160 breast and 180 thigh.20) Remove from oven and place on cutting board and tent with foil for at least 30 minutes.

Details

Prep time: 24 hour Cook time: 3 hour 15 mins Total time: 27 hour 15 mins Yield: 1 turkey

Updated

November 24 2011

DrDan