Several years ago, Speaker of the House John Boehner decided he wanted to brine a turkey for Thanksgiving.
A brine is essentially water with a bunch of salt — about a cup for every gallon — and flavors are added to the mixture, such as lemons, spices, herbs or extracts.
Boehner found a brine recipe online and “tinkered with it.”
"Over the period of about five years I settled in on my current brine," he said in a video about his brine. Here is his list of ingredients:
- 8 quarts of water (or 2 gallons)
- 6 bay leaves
- Kosher salt (he didn't say how much, but again a cup for every gallon of water)
- palm full of peppercorns
- a big head of garlic, halved
- 16 ounces of "pure maple syrup" (this is the "real secret," Boehner says)
Boehner says he combines his ingredients in a big pot and just before it begins to boil, he cuts off the heat.
He then places a rinsed turkey in a plastic bag, and places that in a bucket. Once the brine is cooled he pours it over the turkey and sets it in the refrigerator for about a day.
When he cooks the bird, he starts it out upside down. About halfway through, he flips it and takes it out once it reaches 160 degrees.
The speaker didn't say how long or at what temperature he cooks his bird, but according to Food Network Chef Alton Brown, a 14- to 16-pound turkey should require between 2 to 2-1/2 hours of roasting time. Some recipes at FoodNetwork.com call for the oven to be set at 350 degrees, though Brown's recipe says to crank it up to 500 degrees for the first 30 minutes and then turn it down to 350.
When the turkey is ready to be removed from the oven, Boehner said he sets it on a dish and covers it with foil. He leaves it be for about an hour.
“It’s the resting time that really works,” Boehner said.
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