I came across this citrus dry brine recipe a couple years ago from Bonappetit and have been very happy with it! My turkey always comes out moist and well seasoned. I have tried other various types of brines and this one is by far my favorite! This can also be made up to three days in advance and with a ll the craziness of the holidays, that is a huge bonus!
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons of black peppercorns
1 Tablespoon of Pink peppercorns
2 teaspoons of white peppercorns
2 teaspoon coriander seeds
6 bay leaves
1/2 cup Kosher salt
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon zest
2 Tablespoons orange zest
DIRECTIONS
Toss all of your peppercorns, coriander seeds and bay leaves in a skillet and heat over medium heat until fragrant. Let cool.
Remove the bay leaves and discard. Place the cooled peppercorns and coriander in a heavy duty Ziploc bag, While using a rolling pin or heavy skillet, crush the mixture. Take out of the bag and mix with the remaining ingredients. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. I apply this to my turkey the night before I am going to roast it. Cover completely and refrigerate.
In the morning remove the turkey that you have covered in the dry brine and rinse all of the brine off of your turkey. Pat dry and continue to prepare your turkey to roast.
Enjoy!