Tarragon Turkey
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup tarragon vinegar
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 1/2 cup salt
- 6 tablespoons dried tarragon
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 large or two small garlic cloves, bruised and peeled
- 1 lemon, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 5 1/2-pound rolled turkey breast, tied at intervals to shape it like a sausage (ask your butcher to do this)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves
- In a very large casserole, roasting pan or plastic tub, combine honey, vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, salt and dried tarragon.
- Add onion, garlic, lemon and five quarts of water.
- Submerge rolled turkey breast in mixture, adding 1 to 2 more quarts as needed to cover breast with liquid.
- Refrigerate overnight, preferably for 24 hours.
- Remove turkey from brine, and place on a rack for 30 minutes to drain and come to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a saucepan combine olive oil and fresh tarragon, and place over medium-low heat until oil begins to sizzle.
- Remove from heat, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- Transfer tarragon from oil to a clean roasting pan.
- Pat turkey dry with paper towels, and place on top of tarragon.
- Pour oil over turkey, and rub by hand until meat is completely covered with oil.
- Roast for two hours.
- No basting is necessary.
- Remove pan from oven.
- Transfer turkey to a sheet of foil, and allow it to cool for 20 minutes.
- Remove, and discard strings, wrap turkey in foil, and refrigerate until chilled, at least one hour.
- To serve, cut into slices.
honey, tarragon vinegar, brown sugar, black peppercorns, salt, tarragon, onion, garlic, lemon, turkey breast, olive oil, tarragon
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/5365 (may not work)