We’re kicking off our Dunksgiving celebrations and what better way to do so than with the Turkey! Today, Chef Bryan has cooked up a Green Tea Brined Turkey, perfect to make your guests mouth water the second they lay eyes on the dish. We fried our Turkey, but the Green Tea Brine will be just as DDelicious no matter how your cook your Turkey this year. Next, we have a second Thanksgiving staple: Cranberry Sauce! However, this isn’t your plain Cranberry Sauce from a can. Today we have an Orange Coolatta Cranberry Sauce that’s sure to be a hit. Enjoy!
Green Tea Brined Turkey
Ingredients: (6-8 servings)
- 8 large DD Green Tea
- 1 ¼ cup Kosher salt (or 1 2/3 cups of table or sea salt)
- 1 tablespoon of pepper corns
- 2 inch pieces of ginger, sliced
- 10 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 lemon, halved and charred
- ½ cup of honey
- 12-14 pound Turkey, dressed
- 4-5 gallons of peanut oil (if frying the Turkey)
Instructions:
- In a large pot, bring the DD Green Tea to a boil and reduce to a simmer, reduce by half or until you have about one gallon of tea concentrate.
- On a hot grille or griddle, cook lemon halves cut side down until caramelized.
- In simmering tea concentrate add salt, pepper corns, sliced ginger, crushed garlic, charred lemons and honey. Cook until salt and honey are dissolved, then remove from the stove and cool to room temperature.
- Remove “Pop-up Turkey Timer” (it will melt), rinse Turkey under cold water inside and out, then place in large brine bag.
- Pour the brine over the Turkey in the bag and remove as much air from the bag as possible. Then seal and let the Turkey sit for 14-24 hours.
- After the brine, rinse the Turkey and pat dry, and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Heat 4-5 gallons of peanut oil to 250 degrees and slowly submerge the Turkey in the oil.
- Increase the temperature to 350, once the oil hits 350, cook the bird for 30-40 minutes more, and check with a probe thermometer.
- When the probe reads 160 in the breasts, remove the Turkey and cover for 30 minutes with tinfoil.
- After 30 minutes, uncover the Turkey, slice and serve! Enjoy!
Orange Coolatta Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 Small Dunkin’ Donuts Minute Maid® Orange Coolatta®
- 1 Bag of Frozen Cranberries
Instructions:
- Combine the Dunkin’ Donuts Minute Maid® Orange Coolatta® and cranberries in a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat for about an hour until cranberries begin to burst and the liquid thickens.
- Use the cranberry sauce to make Cranberry Brie Canapés (recipe below) for the appetizer and reserve the rest of the sauce for your Thanksgiving dinner (stay tuned for Part 2 of this recipe series!).
*For all of our Dunksgiving recipes and dish iDDeas from the Dunkin' culinary team, visit here!
