The best Thanksgiving turkeys are often prepared days before anyone sits down to eat. Chef Kristin Butterworth — executive chef of Cork & Crust at The Oaklander Hotel in Oakland — requires three days of brining before cooking this turkey. Her spruce brine steeps evergreen branches, torched hickory chips, fresh herbs, onion and garlic in salted, sweetened water. Butterworth also created a stuffing bread pudding to serve alongside it. Dried sourdough is soaked in a sage-infused custard, then baked low and slow until it sets into tender squares you can slice.
Butterworth is a three-time James Beard Award semifinalist who led Lautrec at Nemacolin to a Forbes Five-Star rating. She shares both recipes on Pittsburgh Today Live on November 19 as part of TABLE’s turkey recipe series benefiting the KDKA Turkey Fund. You can donate online, at any PNC Bank branch or by texting KDTURKEY to 50155.
Plan ahead. Make the brine the Saturday before Thanksgiving, brine the turkey Sunday through Wednesday, then let it dry overnight. Dry the bread Tuesday night and bake the pudding Wednesday, so the oven stays free for the bird on Thursday.
How Does a Spruce and Hickory Turkey Brine Work?
Salt does the heavy lifting. As the turkey soaks, salt seasons the meat to the bone and changes its proteins so they hold on to more moisture in the oven. Sugar balances the salt and helps the skin brown. Charring the hickory chips with a blowtorch adds gentle campfire smokiness without a smoker. The spruce brings a bright, resinous note that suits the thyme and rosemary.
Butterworth’s key rule is to hold the brine at a bare simmer for 15 minutes and never let it boil. The goal is to infuse the flavors, not reduce the liquid. A boiling brine concentrates and will overpower the turkey. After three days, rinse the bird well. Then let it air-dry uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator, which gives a brined turkey crisp, golden skin.
Can I Use Pine or Rosemary Instead of Spruce?
Fresh spruce or fir tips work best. Use only branches you can identify with certainty that haven’t been sprayed. Never use yew, which looks similar and is toxic. If you can’t find spruce, add a few extra sprigs of rosemary and a tablespoon of lightly crushed juniper berries for a similar piney note. No blowtorch? Char the chips in a dry cast-iron skillet on an outdoor grill until they’re blackened and smoking.
Why Is My Stuffing Bread Pudding Soggy?
Sogginess almost always starts with bread that isn’t dry enough. Leave the cubes out overnight until they’re crisp all the way through. If you’re short on time, toast them at 250°F for 30 to 40 minutes. Give the bread the full 20-minute soak. A deep pan may need an extra 15 to 30 minutes in the oven.
Grainy, scrambled bits mean the eggs got too hot too fast. Butterworth tempers them by whisking in one ladle of hot cream first, then adding the rest gradually while whisking constantly. The low 300°F oven keeps the custard silky.
Can I Make Stuffing Bread Pudding Ahead of Time?
Yes, and it’s even better that way. At the restaurant, Butterworth chills the baked pudding, cuts it into squares and reheats them in the oven. Bake it up to three days ahead, cool it, cover it and refrigerate. On Thanksgiving, set the cold squares on a buttered sheet pan and reheat them at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until they’re hot and crisp at the edges. Cut squares freeze for up to two months. Halve the recipe for a 9-by-13-inch dish.
Can I Make It Gluten-Free or Dairy-Free?
For gluten-free bread pudding, swap in two loaves of sturdy gluten-free sourdough or country bread and dry the cubes thoroughly. It soaks faster, so check it at 10 minutes. For dairy-free, use olive oil or plant-based butter in place of the butter. Replace the cream with an unsweetened plant-based heavy cream alternative or full-fat coconut milk, which adds a faint coconut flavor. The custard will set a little softer, so bake until a toothpick comes out clean. The brine is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
What Can I Serve with Spruce-Brined Turkey and Stuffing Bread Pudding?
Squares of bread pudding stand in for stuffing, so build the rest of the plate from the classics. Try creamy mashed potatoes (see our celebrity chef mashed potato taste test), tart cranberry sauce, and roasted Brussels sprouts or green beans. Brined drippings run salty, so make the gravy with low-sodium stock and taste before seasoning. To drink, pour a Pinot Noir, an oaked Chardonnay or a dry hard cider.
Tips for Success
- Use kosher salt. Table salt is denser and much saltier by volume, so don’t swap it in.
- Keep everything cold. The brine and turkey should stay below 40°F for all three days. If your refrigerator is full, use a brining bag in a cooler packed with ice.
- Watch the browning. Sugar in the brine browns the skin quickly. Tent the turkey with foil if it darkens before the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.
- Taste the cream. Season the simmering cream before you temper the eggs. It’s your last chance to adjust the salt.
- Never reuse brine. Throw it out once the raw turkey comes out.
Hungry for more? Chef Kevin Hermann’s Thanksgiving Smoked Turkey Tamales turn a brined, smoked turkey breast into a holiday tamale feast.
Chef Roger Li’s Kimchi and Buttermilk Brined Turkey With Pho Gravy is an Asian Fusion twist on a Thanksgiving staple.
For more stuffing ideas, try Cheryl Alters Jamison’s The Ultimate Stuffing Recipe, Quelcy Kogel’s Inspired Holiday Stuffing or Anna Franklin’s Bread Pudding Stuffed Squash with Savory Black Truffle.
Round out the menu with our 50 Thanksgiving Side Recipes, then put the extras to work with our leftover turkey recipes. Then see what Butterworth is cooking at Cork & Crust at The Oaklander.
Print
Spruce and Hickory Turkey Brine
- Total Time: 96 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: About 1 gallon 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A smoky, aromatic turkey brine made with torched hickory chips, fresh spruce branches, thyme, rosemary, parsley, onion and garlic. A three-day soak gives you deeply seasoned, juicy holiday turkey.
Ingredients
- 1 gal water
- 1 qt (4 cups) kosher salt (see notes)
- 1 qt (4 cups) granulated sugar
- 1 qt (4 cups) hickory wood chips
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 2 onions, quartered
- 1 head garlic, cloves smashed
- 4 fresh, untreated spruce branches
- 1 whole turkey (10 to 12 lb), giblets removed
Instructions
- Combine the water, salt and sugar in a large stockpot and warm over medium heat, stirring to dissolve.
- While the liquid warms, spread the wood chips on a heatproof surface, such as a sheet pan or cast-iron skillet. Burn them thoroughly with a blowtorch until charred.
- Once the liquid reaches a simmer, add the charred chips, thyme, rosemary, parsley, onions, garlic and spruce. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Do not boil, or the brine will become too intense and overpower the turkey.
- Cool the brine, then refrigerate it overnight with the aromatics still in it.
- Strain the brine. Fully submerge the turkey in it in a brining bag or nonreactive container. Refrigerate for 3 days.
- Remove the turkey and rinse it thoroughly inside and out. Pat dry and set it on a rack over a pan. Refrigerate uncovered overnight to dry the skin before roasting.
Notes
Salt: Use kosher salt. Table salt is much saltier by volume.
Larger birds: One gallon covers a turkey of about 10 to 12 pounds in a brining bag. Double the brine for a larger turkey.
Roasting: Roast at 325°F until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F. Tent with foil if the skin browns too fast, and rest 30 minutes before carving.
Gravy: Brined drippings are salty. Use low-sodium stock and taste before seasoning.
Spruce: Use only branches you can positively identify that haven’t been sprayed, and never use yew. As a substitute, use extra rosemary and 1 tablespoon crushed juniper berries.
No blowtorch: Char the chips in a dry cast-iron skillet on an outdoor grill.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Additional Time: 96 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Brining
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz
- Calories: 220
Stuffing Bread Pudding
- Total Time: 14 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Savory sourdough bread pudding with celery, onion, garlic and fresh sage, baked in a rich custard of cream and eggs. This make-ahead Thanksgiving stuffing slices into tidy squares.
Ingredients
- 2 loaves sourdough bread (about 3 lb total), diced
- 1 lb (4 sticks) butter, plus more for the pan
- 4 celery ribs, small dice
- 1 onion, small dice
- 1 head garlic, cloves peeled and finely diced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 qt (8 cups) heavy cream
- 20 large eggs
- ½ lb fresh sage, cut into chiffonade (see notes)
Instructions
- Dice the bread, spread it on sheet pans and leave it uncovered overnight to dry. Transfer to a large buttered casserole dish or pan.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the celery, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the cream, season again with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Heat the oven to 300°F.
- While the cream heats, whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl until combined.
- When the cream simmers, ladle a small amount over the eggs and whisk vigorously to temper. Gradually add the rest of the cream, whisking constantly.
- Fold in the sage. Pour the custard over the bread and mix thoroughly so every piece is coated. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
- Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. If it doesn’t, keep baking and check every 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve straight from the pan. Or chill it, cut it into squares and reheat them in the oven.
Notes
Half batch: Halve every ingredient and bake in a 9-by-13-inch dish. Start checking at 45 minutes.
Quick-dry bread: Toast the cubes at 250°F for 30 to 40 minutes, until dry all the way through.
Make ahead: Refrigerate the baked pudding for up to 3 days. Cut it into squares and reheat on a buttered sheet pan at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Freeze the squares for up to 2 months.
Gluten-free: Use sturdy gluten-free sourdough or country bread, dried well. Check at 10 minutes.
Dairy-free: Use olive oil or plant-based butter, plus an unsweetened plant-based heavy cream alternative or full-fat coconut milk.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Additional Time: 12 hours 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/24 of pan
- Calories: 620
About the Recipe Author
Chef Kristin Butterworth is executive chef of Cork & Crust, the pizza and wine bar at The Oaklander Hotel in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. She grew up in Northern Cambria and graduated with honors from the IUP Academy of Culinary Arts. She cooked at the Georgian Room at Sea Island and The Inn at Little Washington before leading Lautrec at Nemacolin, where she became the first female chef to run a Forbes Five-Star restaurant. She is a three-time James Beard Award semifinalist and has been a featured chef at the James Beard House.
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine’s print edition.
