Recipe: Pam Anderson's Brined Roast Turkey with Giblet Pan Sauce (from The Perfect Recipe)

Tammy, this was in the Panama City newspaper, is it what you are looking for? If you want other Pam Anderson brining recipes, I will look for them.

I had to laugh at your comments about not finding the cookbooks in libraries. The first time I moved to Florida (a well known vacation/retirement area) and expressed dismay to my realtor over the small kitchens in homes I was seeing, she told me that women in Florida made reservations for dinner. Well, not all of us do, but honestly, I saw a couple of pre-owned homes where the kitchen obviously hadn't gotten much use. I really enjoy cooking, but I can understand that if I didn't, it would be nice to "retire" from it, also.

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PAM ANDERSON'S BRINED TURKEY: Anderson, a Panama City native, executive editor of Cook s Illustrated magazine and author of The Perfect Recipe (Houghton Mifflin, 1998, $27), roasted 40 turkeys before she arrived at her formula for fowl perfection, a technique that combines soaking the bird in salt water before cooking, then rotating it periodically during roasting.

"Traditionally, regardless of how you roast it, covering it with cheesecloth, basting it with butter or even enclosing it in a bag, the breast meat is bland and dry," Anderson says. "Brining makes a big difference. The breast is firm, yet juicy, not like sawdust. The salt water permeates the bird, making each bite, rather than just the skin, taste seasoned."

A 12- to 14-pound turkey soaks in a mixture of two cups of kosher salt and two gallons of cold water overnight, 10-12 hours, then roasts on a V-shaped rack, breast-side down, 45 minutes. Then the bird is cautiously turned and basted, so that one leg is on top, then the other, and finishing breast-side up for picture-perfect browning.

I asked Anderson's advice for the rotation-reluctant cooks who think turning their bird sounds like holiday horror.

"The bottom line," Anderson says, "is that the longer you roast it breast side down, the more protected the breast meat is. So only flip it once, if you prefer. Anyway, you only turn it once if the turkey is over 15 pounds." (See recipe.)

ANDERSON'S OVEN-ROASTED
TURKEY WITH GIBLET PAN SAUCE

1 (12-14-pound) turkey, giblets and tail removed and all giblets, except liver, cut into 1-inch pieces; turkey rinsed thoroughly
2 cups kosher salt or 1 1/2 cups table salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped, divided use
1 1/2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped, divided use
1 1/2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped, divided use
6 fresh thyme sprigs, divided use
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons butter, melted, plus extra for basting
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Cook's notes: If you feel uncomfortable with the concept of turning the turkey, roast it either breast side down or breast side up the entire time. It will still be delicious.

1. Place turkey in pot or clean bucket large enough to hold it. Add salt and 2 gallons cold water to cover, rubbing salt into bird and stirring water until salt dissolves. Refrigerate 10-12 hours. Remove turkey from salt water and rinse cavity and skin under cold running water several minutes until all traces of salt are gone.

2. While turkey soaks, heat oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add neck, tail, giblets except liver, and 1 onion; saute until giblets lose their raw color, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until giblets release their liquid, about 20 minutes. Add 1/3 of carrots and celery. Add 5 cups water along with 2 sprigs thyme and bay leaf. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes to make a flavorful broth. Add liver during last 5 minutes of cooking. Strain broth, setting aside neck, tail and giblets, including liver. Cool broth to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to use; you should have about 4 cups. Remove meat from neck and tail, cut giblets and liver into medium dice and refrigerate meat and giblets separately.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss half remaining onions, carrots and celery and 2 sprigs thyme with 1 tablespoon butter; place in turkey cavity. Bring turkey legs together and tie with cotton string.

4. Scatter remaining vegetables and thyme in shallow roasting pan; pour 1 cup water over vegetables. Set V-rack adjusted to its widest setting in pan. Brush entire breast side of turkey with 1 tablespoon butter; place turkey breast side down on rack. Brush back with 2 tablespoons butter.

5. Roast 45 minutes, see cook's notes. Remove pan from oven, close oven door and baste turkey with butter. With wad of paper toweling in each hand, turn turkey leg/thigh side up. If water has evaporated, add 1/2 cup more to pan. Return turkey to oven and roast 20 minutes. Remove from oven, baste and use paper toweling to turn turkey so other leg/thigh side faces up. Roast 20 minutes. Remove turkey again, baste and turn breast side up. Roast until a meat thermometer or instant read thermometer registers 170 to 175 degrees, about 30-45 minutes more. Breast should be 160 to 165 degrees. Transfer turkey to platter; let rest 20-30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, skim fat from roasting pan, then place pan over 2 burners on medium heat. Add wine and, using wooden spoon, stir to loosen brown bits. Strain contents of roasting pan through fine strainer into large saucepan. Add reserved giblet broth (reserving 1/2 cup) and giblets; bring to boil. Mix cornstarch into 1/2 cup cold reserved broth and gradually stir into pan juices. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens slightly. Carve turkey; pass gravy separately at table.

Yield: 10-12 servings
Source: The Perfect Recipe by Pam Anderson, Houghton Mifflin, 1998