Unlock the secret to a perfectly succulent turkey breast and fall-off-the-bone leg meat with this incredible brined roast turkey recipe! The dry brine tenderises and infuses every bite with incredible flavour, making your festive feast truly unforgettable. Plus, turkey is packed with iron!
legs and thighs removed, wings cut from the breast, neck and backbone chopped into pieces for gravy
crumpled
quartered
softened
finely chopped
from about 6 lemons
from about 4 oranges
toasted
Up to four days before cooking, prepare the dry brine. In a pestle and mortar, or a bowl with a rolling pin, combine the flaky sea salt, toasted black peppercorns, crumpled bay leaves, finely chopped sage leaves, and soft light brown sugar. Crush them together until well combined. Stir in the lemon zest and orange zest. Spoon approximately one-third of the brine mixture into a large resealable bag and the remaining two-thirds into another resealable bag. Chill both bags in the fridge.
Place the turkey legs and wings into the bag containing one-third of the dry brine. Shake well to ensure the skin is fully coated. Leave the turkey legs and wings to marinate in the fridge overnight.
The next day, preheat your oven to 120°C (100°C fan/Gas Mark 1). Rinse the brine off the turkey legs and wings thoroughly under cold water, then pat them completely dry with kitchen paper. In a roasting tin, melt the duck fat in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Carefully add the dried turkey pieces to the melted fat, ensuring they are submerged. Cook in the middle of the oven for approximately 4 hours, or until the legs are very tender. Allow the turkey pieces to cool completely, then cover the tin and chill overnight, or for up to three days.
On Christmas Eve, take the turkey crown and generously cover it with the remaining dry brine mixture. Place the brined turkey crown in the fridge and chill overnight.
On the morning of cooking, remove the turkey crown from the fridge 1 hour before you plan to roast it. Rinse off all the brine from the crown and pat it thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Take the confit turkey legs, thighs, and wings out of the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature so they can be easily released from the solidified fat. Remove the confit pieces from the fat and place them on a baking tray, ready for reheating later. Strain the duck fat and set it aside; it can be used for cooking potatoes or other vegetables.
Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan/Gas Mark 5). Line a large shallow roasting tin with foil and place a wire rack on top. Scatter the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and sage sprigs, along with the quartered onion, across the wire rack. Place the turkey crown on top of the herbs and onion. Rub the softened butter all over the skin of the turkey crown and season it well. Roast the turkey crown, uncovered, for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, cover the crown with foil and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Finally, remove the foil and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and golden. To check if the turkey is cooked, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the breast; the juices should run clear. Once cooked, transfer the turkey crown to a platter, cover it loosely with foil, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
While the turkey crown is resting, reheat the confit turkey legs and wings in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the skin has crisped up and they are heated through. Add the reheated confit pieces to the platter with the rested turkey crown. Carve the turkey and serve immediately.
For an even richer flavour, use the strained duck fat from the confit legs to roast your potatoes or other vegetables.
If you don't have a pestle and mortar, you can crush the brine ingredients in a sturdy bowl using the back of a spoon or a rolling pin.
The confit legs can be made up to three days in advance, making this a perfect recipe for reducing stress on the main cooking day.