The Best Turkey Ever

Make this. Seriously.

Cider-Brined Turkey
(Adapted from a recipe by Emeril Lagasse)

16 cups fresh apple cider
2 cups coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
4 cinnamon sticks
4 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 gallon ice water
1 whole (10-to-12-pound) turkey, fresh or frozen (defrosted)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
Freshly ground pepper
2 apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
1 sweet onion, coarsely chopped

1. In a large stockpot, combine fresh cider, 2 cups salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salt dissolve, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add thyme, rosemary, oregano, and parsley. Let steep for 5 minutes. Add ice water, stir, and let brine cool to room temperature.
2. Rinse turkey inside and out under cool running water. Remove giblets and neck; set aside for gravy or stuffing, if desired. Place turkey in a pot large enough to hold the turkey and the brine or a large, food-safe plastic bag, set in a pot or roasting pan. Cover turkey with brine, make sure both cavities of turkey are filled. Cover or tightly close bag and refrigerate 10 to 12 hours. If using a bag, rotate turkey occasionally to make sure it is evenly brined.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
4. Remove turkey from brine and rinse well under cold running water; pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Place turkey, breast-side up, in a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan fitted with a rack. Rub all sides with butter, stuffing some underneath the skin. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff turkey with apples, celery, and onion. Loosely tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Transfer to oven and roast until skin is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Cover turkey loosely with a double layer of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the largest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) registers 161 degrees, about 1 hour more.
6. Remove from oven and transfer turkey to a serving platter. Let turkey stand, tented with foil, about 20 minutes before carving.

Mother's Day Brunch

Mother’s Day was yesterday, and I coordinated a really nice brunch for my mom, my sister and my brother-in-law’s mother. I made a little too much of the egg bake – a little goes a long way – but I probably could have doubled the batch of French toast.

Spiced French Toast with Orange Syrup
4 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup half & half
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 loaf crusty French bread, sliced

In a large bowl, combine eggs, orange juice, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix with an electric mixer until well-blended.

In a large glass baking dish, place the French bread slices, and pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a large baking sheet (with a 1” rim) melt ¼ cup butter. (Be careful not to let the butter scorch!) Place the bread on the baking sheet and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the toast is golden brown. You may need to flip the toast ¾ of the way through.

To prepare syrup, in a medium saucepan, melt ½ cup butter, ½ cup sugar, and 1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate over medium heat. Do not boil. When butter is melted and syrup is heated through, remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Before serving, whip until thickened, and add chopped pecans if desired.

Skillet Breakfast with Salsa
12 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon oil
1 bag hash browns (I used Simply Potatoes Southwest Style)
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped red pepper
1 cup cubed ham
1 cup Colby-jack shredded cheese (or pepper jack, if you like a little more kick)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Fry hash browns in skillet for 10 minutes until golden brown. Flip hash browns and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove hash browns from skillet and spread out on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13” baking pan.

In a medium bowl, mix eggs and milk. Set aside. In skillet, melt butter and sauté onions and peppers until crisp-tender. Add ham. Add eggs, and gently scramble until set.

Spread eggs evenly over hash browns in baking pan. Sprinkle cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh salsa.