Herb-Brined Creole Turkey

Ingredients

• 12 cups apple juice 
• 1 cup brown sugar 
• 0.3 cup butter melted
• 0.3 cup creole seasoning 
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves dried
• 8  garlic cloves crushed
• 1 cup kosher salt 
• 1 tablespoon cracked pepper black
• 12 pound turkey whole

Equipment

• frying pan
• paper towels
• oven
• pot
• kitchen thermometer
• aluminum foil

Directions

1. Combine first 5 ingredients and 6 cups apple cider in a stockpot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in remaining 6 cups apple cider. Cool mixture completely.
2. Rinse turkey with cold water.
3. Place in a turkey-size oven bag, and place bagged turkey inside a second bag; add cider mixture to first bag with turkey. Secure bags. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally. (If space is lacking in your refrigerator, secure bags, place in a beverage cooler, and cover with ice. Check periodically and replace ice, if necessary.)
4. Remove turkey from bags, and discard brine. Rinse turkey with cold water; drain and pat dry with paper towels.
5. Loosen and lift skin from turkey with fingers, without totally detaching skin; spread 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning under skin.
6. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon seasoning inside cavity.
7. Sprinkle turkey skin with remaining 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning.
8. Let turkey stand 30 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 32
10. Place turkey on a roasting rack, breast side up; brush entire bird with melted butter. Roast about 3 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of thigh registers 18
11. (Shield turkey with aluminum foil after 1 hour to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.)
12. Brush with pan juices occasionally during last 60 minutes of cooking.
13. Let stand 15 minutes before carving.