Brining the Mad Max turkey

Eggtuary · November 2005

Mad Max says in his recipe that it would probably work just as well if you brine the bird first. My concern is, couldn't that possibly make the gravy too salty? [p]I tried his recipe about a month ago with just a normal fresh turkey. I was surprised to find that it was already injected with "broth and other flavorings," since the fresh turkeys I've bought in the past were not injected. I once brined a turkey that was so treated, and it tasted very odd (and I've since read in Cook's Illustrated that brining an injected bird always turns out too salty.)[p]Anyway, I did Max's recipe without brining, and it was very good. In fact, the gravy was absolutely fantastic. However, I thought the meat of the turkey could have had a little more flavor, so I wanted to try brining.[p]Has anybody here tried brining the turkey before following the rest of Max's recipe? Did the gravy turn out too salty?[p]Thanks,
Mike

mad max beyond eggdome · November 2005

eggtuary,
you know i'm not big on brining cause i'm lazy. .. . if you do brine, i'd do two things. ..one, make sure you really rinse the bird good after taking out of the brine, and two, don't add any additional salt (either to the cavity as part of seasoning, or to the gravy, until you've tasted it first. .. .otherwise, i think you should be ok. .. .[p]hopefully someone will weigh in who's tried it. ..

Bobby-Q · November 2005

eggtuary,
You shouldn't worry about the meat becoming salty if you maintain the proper ratios of salt and sugar to water.[p]The salt is there for osmosis puposes, not so much to add flavor.

Marvin · November 2005

mad max beyond eggdome,
We have, and your warnings about rinsing, no added salt and tasting are right on the money. BTW, done with brining has been our favorite method for 5 years. Have a great holiday.

Marvin · November 2005

PS: the gravy comes out perfect, but be sure to taste before adding anymore salt
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Brining the Mad Max turkey

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