Brine your Thanksgiving turkey in this for golden skin: ‘Dripping with juice’

Darryl Postelnick, host of the “Cooking With Darryl” social media videos, has a secret weapon for the juiciest Thanksgiving turkey ever: a milk bath.

“The milk and the buttermilk together, they break down the proteins – or the proteins in there break down the turkey, get inside and really make it juicy,” Postelnick told Fox News Digital from his Illinois home. (See the video at the top of this article, and another video a few lines down.) 

“This brine, I mean — I was able to literally cut the drumstick and the entire back came off with it, dripping with juice. It was awesome,” he said. 

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And even though the turkey was juicy, the skin was “golden brown” and crunchy – his favorite part.

“That’s what I love,” Postelnick said. “I think when you cut up a turkey, everyone should get some skin along with the meat.”

In addition to brining the turkey in milk, Postelnick stands by another unorthodox method for cooking his turkey: spatchcocking it. 

Spatchcocking is the process of flattening a bird after removing the backbone.

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Spatchcocked turkeys cook faster and more evenly than a traditional turkey, Postelnick said, and require much less liquid to brine.

This step can be made even easier, he said, because “a butcher or someone at a grocery store will spatchcock it for you if you ask them.” 

The whole recipe is “so easy,” he said. 

“You get a quart of each [milk and buttermilk], put some salt in and put it in a bag — and you’re done,” he said. “I mean, you just leave it and wait.” 

After the turkey sits overnight in the milk mixture, he advised patting it dry, adding butter or any additional seasonings — and then roasting it or grilling it. 

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“Having that tenderness, juiciness and the flavor that comes through, that was a winner for me,” he said.

Milk-brined spatchcocked turkey with gravy recipe by Darryl Postelnick

Serves 10 

Ingredients 

For turkey

1 quart whole milk

½ cup kosher salt

1 quart buttermilk

1 turkey, 14-15 pounds, spatchcocked 

8 tablespoons softened butter

For gravy

3 tablespoons butter

¼ cup flour

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2 cups combined turkey drippings and turkey or chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot, bring milk to a simmer. Pour in salt, stir and let simmer until salt has dissolved, about two minutes. Let cool completely, then stir in buttermilk.

2. Place the turkey in a two-gallon resealable plastic bag. Pour in the milk brine, seal the bag, and squish around the brine to distribute evenly around the bird. Set bag in a roasting pan or other deep tray or pot and place in the fridge for 24-36 hours, turning occasionally.

3. Remove turkey from bag and let excess brine drip off. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and place breast-side up in a roasting pan. Rub butter over the skin and let sit for 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh near the bone reads 165 degrees, about 1.5 to 2 hours. If breast is getting too dark toward the end of cooking, place a piece of tinfoil over top to shield it. While turkey rests, make gravy. 

5. Drain turkey drippings from the roasting pan into a liquid measuring cup. Add stock to make 2 cups total.

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6. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour mixture is fragrant and medium-dark brown. Pour in dripping mixture and whisk to combine. Bring this to a simmer, then add the cream. Bring to a simmer, lower heat, and cook five to 10 minutes, until gravy has thickened. Remove from heat and add salt and a few cranks of fresh ground pepper. Serve with turkey and other holiday sides.

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This recipe is owned by Darryl Postelnick and was shared with Fox News Digital.