Perfectly juicy Christmas roast turkey

Name: Perfectly juicy Christmas roast turkey
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 8 to 12
Cuisine: Québécoise
Ingredients: 1 young butter-basted turkey of about 6 kg (13 lb), neck and giblets removed, thawed; 24 cups (6 L) cold water; 1 cup (250 ml) coarse sea salt or kosher salt (never fine salt, it salts almost twice as hard by volume); 1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar; 3 bottles (341 ml each) fruity Belgian-style wheat beer, any of them, even the cheapest one; 4 bay leaves; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) peppercorns; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) juniper berries; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fennel seeds; 1/2 tablespoon (7.5 ml) coriander seeds; 4 fresh thyme sprigs; 3 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 celery stalks, cut in big chunks; 1 red onion, finely sliced; 1 red apple, quartered; A big handful of fresh parsley; Meat from 4 cooked confit duck legs, pulled; 1 Honeycrisp apple, cored and cut in small wedges; 1 red onion, cut in small wedges; 3 garlic cloves, peeled; 5 fresh thyme sprigs; 500 g (1 lb) maple bacon; 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup

Preparation 1 h
Refrigeration 12 h
Cooking 3 h
Servings 8 to 12
Freezing Absolutely

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Ingredients for the brine

1 young butter-basted turkey of about 6 kg (13 lb), neck and giblets removed, thawed
24 cups (6 L) cold water
1 cup (250 ml) coarse sea salt or kosher salt (never fine salt, it salts almost twice as hard by volume)
1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar
3 bottles (341 ml each) fruity Belgian-style wheat beer, any of them, even the cheapest one
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons (30 ml) peppercorns
1 tablespoon (15 ml) juniper berries
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fennel seeds
1/2 tablespoon (7.5 ml) coriander seeds
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 celery stalks, cut in big chunks
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 red apple, quartered
A big handful of fresh parsley

Ingredients for the rest

Meat from 4 cooked confit duck legs, pulled
1 Honeycrisp apple, cored and cut in small wedges
1 red onion, cut in small wedges
3 garlic cloves, peeled
5 fresh thyme sprigs
500 g (1 lb) maple bacon
1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup

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Preparation

In a sauce pan, pour 4 cups (1 L) of water then add the salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, stir well to dissolve then remove from heat. Set aside.
In a big big big pot or in a brining bag, place the turkey in the bottom then add the rest of the water and brining ingredients including the salt and sugar mix. Stir well and place in the fridge for about 12 hours or overnight. Do not go past about fifteen hours: beyond that the flesh turns too salty and the texture goes hammy. Remove from the brine 30 minutes before cooking, drain well, pat the skin dry with paper towel and set aside at room temp. ***You do not own a giant pot or a brining bag? Place a garbage bag in the bottom of a big cooler then place your turkey with the brine in it. Close the bag tightly, add a couple of ice bags around it and you are in business!***
Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
For the stuffing, add the duck confit, apple, onion, garlic and thyme sprigs to a big bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Toss well. Fill the turkey cavity by pushing hard and fitting in as much as you can. Place on a big roasting pan, breast up, and tuck the wings underneath. Cook in the oven for about 2 h to 2 h 30, or until the breast temperature reaches 140 °F (60 °C).
Remove from the oven and cover with the maple bacon slices. Do not forget the wings! Baste everything with the maple syrup and return to the oven, still at 350 °F (180 °C), for about 30 minutes, or until the breasts reach an internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C) and the thighs 180 °F (82 °C). Do not crank the oven to crisp the bacon: it crisps on its own at that temperature.
Remove from the oven, cover tightly with aluminium foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving! Do not forget to serve the stuffing with this legendary turkey!