Poultry Turkey buttermilk brine

[Mike]

Ingredients

• 4-5 pound bone-in turkey breast
• 1 quart of buttermilk
• 1 quart of water
• 1/2 cup of salt
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 5 smashed garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns (white are ideal)
• 1 bay leaf
• Citrus fruit slices (A couple of lemons and oranges is plenty.)

Pour the water into a sauce pan, along with the salt, sugar, garlic, pepper and bay leaf. Bring everything to a boil, then remove from the heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Let the brine cool to room temperature. Once it’s cool, combine it with the buttermilk, then pour the mixture over the turkey breast in a brining bag or small bucket. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, remove the turkey from the brine, and let drain on paper towels, blotting to remove excess moisture from the skin. Scatter your fruit in the bottom of a roasting pan or large skillet, place a trivet or rack on top of that, then set the turkey on top. Roast uncovered until the skin is well-browned, covering with foil towards the end if it starts to look dicey. Continue to roast until the thickest part of the breast reads 150 degrees, about 90 minutes to two hours, depending on the size of the bird and your oven. Remove from the oven, and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Sprinkle with some Maldon salt and citrus zest, and enjoy!