Courtesy of Oak Mountain Winery, Temecula Valley CA
Serves: 12-20
Cook Time: 2-3 hours
Pair with a bottle of Oak Mountain Winery’s 2012 Chardonnay
Wine Country Recipe: Honey-Brined Tuscan Herb Turkey
Ingredients:
For the turkey:
Fresh or frozen turkey – giblets removed
8 quarts of water
2 cups of Kosher salt
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup Temecula or local honey
For the rub:
4 teaspoons of ground black pepper
10 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of fresh thyme and sage
2 lemons
4 tablespoons of Oak Mountain Winery’s Tuscan Herb Avocado Oil
Directions:
Rinse turkey with running water and remove neck and giblets. Prepare brine by mixing honey, water, and salt in a large bowl until salt dissolves. Add chicken stock and stir. Line stock pot or use a brining bag and place turkey inside. Cover with brine and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hrs.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove turkey from brine. Pat dry. Place turkey on roasting pan, breast side up. Cover wings with foil.
Squeeze lemon into turkey cavity. Add thyme, sage, and squeezed lemons inside cavity. Coat inside and outside of turkey with Tuscan Herb Avocado Oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Oak Mountain Winery’s Tuscan Herb Avocado Oil gives a lovely crispness and flavor to the skin of this juicy holiday turkey.
Insert oven thermometer into thigh or breast. Loosely cover with foil and cook until thermometer reaches 160 degrees, remove foil and cook until thermometer reaches 170 degrees. Remove turkey from oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
Enjoy!
For more Temecula wine country recipes, click here.
