The Perfect Roast Turkey

Ingredients

• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:

• 1 red apple, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• Canola oil

DIRECTIONS

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Chanukah Donuts

Ingredients you will need:

3 tsp dried yeast

3/4 cup lukewarm milk

6 Tablespoons sugar

3 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

6 Tablespoon vegetable oil

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Nutella or fruit jam of your choice for filling

Powdered sugar for dusting donuts at the end

Directions:

Combine the yeast, milk and 1/2 the sugar in a small bowl and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Beat together the remaining sugar, egg, egg yolk, oil, vanilla, and the yeast mixture. Add the flour gradually, beating until you have a soft, smooth dough. Knead for 5 minutes, adding a little more flour if the dough is sticky. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning it to coat it on all sides, cover with a dish towel and allow to rise until it has doubled in volume -- about 2 hours.

Knead dough for 2 minutes and roll out into a thickness of 1/4" on a floured surface.

Cut into 2-inch rounds with a pastry cutter or sharp knife. Continue to roll and cut out rounds until the dough is used up.

Place a teaspoon of jam or nutella in the center of one of the rounds, moisten the edges with water, and cover with another round of dough. Press the edges to seal well. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil over moderate heat (not too hot or the donut will burn fast), fry a few at a time for 3-4 minutes, drain on a paper towel and dust with powdered sugar.

Serve.

Makes about 30.

Latkes

18 potatoes (unpeeled)

2 small/medium onions finely grated

12 eggs

salt

oil

Boiled potatoes until cooked (be sure not to over cook). Peel potatoes and let cool thoroughly. Grate potatoes with a hand grater. Add onion , eggs, and salt. Mix well with your hand. Avoid smashing potato.

In a large pan, heat oil on high. When oil is hot, drop in potato mixture - about 1/3 cup for each latke.

Cook well, turn over.

Makes 30 latkes.