Torrisi Turkey
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 boneless turkey breasts, 3 to 4 1/2 pounds each
- 8 heads garlic, lightly smashed but intact
- 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- To brine the turkey: In a medium saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil with the salt and sugar.
- Pour into a large pot, and add 2 quarts cold water.
- Once the brine is cool, submerge the turkey breasts and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours.
- To make the glaze: Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Toss the garlic heads with the olive oil in a small casserole dish, cover and roast until the garlic is soft, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Leave covered until cool enough to handle, then squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins into a food processor and puree.
- Add the honey, salt and pepper.
- Cover until ready to use.
- To cook the turkey: Heat oven to 250 degrees.
- Remove the breasts from the brine and wrap each one four times in plastic wrap and once in aluminum foil.
- Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the center of one breast and place both on a wire rack in a roasting pan.
- Add water to reach to just below the rack.
- Cook until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees, 2 to 3 hours.
- Near the end of cooking time, fill a large bowl halfway with ice water.
- Remove the turkey from oven and raise temperature to 425 degrees.
- Without removing thermometer or wrapping, submerge the turkey in the ice bath for 5 minutes.
- Remove foil, plastic wrap and turkey skin.
- Pat dry and brush glaze liberally on all sides of the breasts.
- Roast until glaze is golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve thinly sliced, hot or cold.
kosher salt, sugar, turkey breasts, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, honey, kosher salt, pepper, thyme
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014108 (may not work)