Saveur

Photo: Landon Nordeman

SERVES 8 – 10

The turkey in this recipe, from Lynne Rossetto Kasper, is deeply infused with the aroma of apples. "I'm a great believer in repeating seasoning themes at different stages of cooking to build depth," she says, "which is why I use several expressions of apple—the fruit itself, cider, and apple brandy—in this recipe." The seasoning that goes into the brine may seem like a lot, with its one-third cup chile powder, three heads of garlic, four apples, and two quarts of cider, but the final effect is perfectly balanced.

Extra-virgin olive oil
1  10–12-lb. turkey
2 lbs. mixed chicken legs and thighs
1 cup kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
5 yellow onions
39 garlic cloves
4 carrots
4 celery ribs with leaves 
1/2 cup calvados (apple brandy), plus 4 teaspoons
6 1/2 cups dry white wine
1⁄3 packed cup dark brown sugar
1⁄3 cup ground ancho chile powder
8 1/3 cups fresh apple cider
6 granny smith apples
2 lightly packed cups fresh basil leaves, plus 8 leaves for garnish
4 tbsp. softened butter
1⁄4 cup flour 
 

1. The broth for the gravy may be made up to 3 days in advance. Lightly coat the bottom of a 12" skillet with extra-virgin olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add the neck and giblets from the turkey and mixed chicken legs and thighs; season to taste with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides; transfer to a 6-quart pot. Pour half of the fat out of the skillet; heat over medium-high. Stir in 2 chopped yellow onions, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 whole cloves, 1 chopped carrot, and 1 chopped celery rib with leaves and cook until just browned, 12–14 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add 1⁄4 cup of the calvados and 2 cups of the wine. Return to heat, bring to a boil, and scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the 6-quart pot of meat. Add enough water to cover the mixture to a depth of 1"; bring to a slow simmer. Partially cover and cook, without stirring, for 4–5 hours. (Add more water as necessary to keep solids covered.) Remove from heat, let cool, strain (as shown), and refrigerate broth. You should have about 12 cups.

2. A day before serving, brine the turkey, calculating 1 hour of brining for each pound. In a large plastic brining bag or stockpot, combine 1 cup of the salt, brown sugar, and chile powder. Put 2 cups of the cider, 35 cloves garlic, and 4 unpeeled, cored, and coarsely chopped granny smith apples into a food processor and purée. Add purée to the brining bag along with 6 cups of the cider and 4 quarts cold water. Whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #106