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POM-Brined Turkey

POM-Brined Turkey

Recipe by

  • Prep Time

    Mins

  • Total Time

    1+

    Hrs

  • Serves

    10-12

  • Difficulty

    Medium

Preparation

Turkey:

Prepare fresh pomegranate juice, if necessary.* Line a pot or tub large enough to hold the brine and turkey with a food-safe plastic bag. Combine all brine ingredients in bag, making sure all the salt has been fully dissolved. Place the turkey breast-side down in the brine; refrigerate or surround the pot with ice packs in an insulated cooler for about 8 to 10 hours or overnight. Score 1 fresh pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.) After brining turkey, rinse and pat dry. Coat outside skin with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Rub the turkey inside and outside with herb mixture. Place chopped vegetables in a shallow roasting pan. Place turkey on top of vegetables. Roast at 325F for 12 to 14 minutes per pound (internal temperature should read 160F when a meat thermometer is inserted in thigh area). In a saucepan, reduce 3 cups pomegranate juice by half to make glaze. Mix with black pepper and arils. Cover turkey with pomegranate glaze and allow to rest covered with foil for 20 minutes before carving. Prepare gravy while turkey is resting.

Gravy:

Chicken broth. Serve this pomegranate recipe.

*For 1 cup of juice, cut 2–3 large POM Wonderful pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.

Ingredients

Brine:

  • Juice from 8-12 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates, or 4 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
  • 16 cups water
  • 1 cup coarse kosher salt
  • 15 black peppercorns, slightly crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon sage

Turkey:

  • 1 12- to 15-lb. turkey, thawed if purchased frozen
  • 2 teaspoons each: sage, rosemary, thyme, poultry seasonings, and crushed black peppercorns that have been mixed together
  • 1½ cups celery
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • Juice from 6-9 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates, or 3 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
  • 1/2 cup arils from 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate or Pom Pomegranate Arils
  • black pepper to taste

Gravy:

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups chicken broth

In This Recipe

No items found.
POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

POM Juice

POM Wonderful Arils
POM Arils
POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

Fresh Fruit