WILLIAM SONOMA BRINE RECIPES

Steps:

• The night before you plan on cooking the turkey, remove the innards and rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water.
• Boil 1 gallon of water and brining blend for 2 - 3 minutes, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. To speed things up you can add some ice to it.
• Combine cooled brine with 1 gallon of ice water and submerge the turkey in the brine bath so that it is completely covered. I used a brining bag to do this, but a large container or a 5 gallon bucket would even work.
• Refrigerate overnight. If your brine doesn't completely cover the turkey, turn the turkey over half way through brining.
• Next day, an hour before you are ready to cook the turkey, remove the turkey from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse the turkey well with cold water and pat dry. Place in a roasting pan, I used a cheap disposable aluminum one to show you that it doesn't have to be fancy. Let the turkey come to room temperature for one hour.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Place the turkey, breast side up in the center rack on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2½ inches deep. Roast in the oven for about 13 minutes per pound for an un-stuffed turkey, or until the internal temperature of the deepest part of the breast reaches 170°F.
• Baste the turkey with the pan juices every 45 minutes. When the thermometer reaches 170°F in the deepest part of the breast, remove from oven and let it rest for 15 - 20 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread the bread out on a baking sheet and let it dry overnight - OR - place the baking sheet in a 350°F oven and bake about 20 minutes, or until the bread is dried out. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a large baking dish with oil.
• In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
• In the same pan over medium heat, cook the sausage, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the bowl with the onion/celery mixture.
• Add the bread, sage and thyme to the bowl with the sausage/onion mixture and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and stir to evenly coat the bread. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and stir to mix well.
• Transfer to the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir. Continue baking until golden, about 30 to 35 minutes more. Serve immediately.