Photastic Vietnamese Turkey Brine
Photastic Vietnamese Turkey Brine by Kim Knudsen in Nome, Alaska 6 quarts tap water 1 pound kosher salt 3 cup dark brown sugar 1 cup soy sauce ¼ cup fish sauce 10 star anise 8 inches of ginger root bruised and cut in half* 2 bunch of green onion cut into quarters 5 stalks of lemon grass bruised and cut into quarters* 2 heads of garlic broken into individual cloves, unpeeled, but bruised* 5 pounds of ice cubes 14 to 18 pound turkey, cleaned, innards removed 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 2 lemons, zested Directions In a medium pot, bring 3 quarts of the tap water to a boil over medium heat. Put the kosher salt in a large bowl and slowly pour the boiling water over the salt. Stir to blend. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, star anise, ginger, green onion, lemon grass, and garlic. Stir to blend. Add the remaining 3 quarts of cool water. Add the ice to a cooler or bucket lined with a turkey bag large enough to hold the brine and the turkey....