Portuguese Turkey Brine

Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 2 (12 lb) turkey
• salt, to taste
• dry wine (2 bottles)
• 8 large garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons sweet hungarian paprika
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, leaves
• 1 lb bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• prepared stuffing

Recipe

• 1 soak turkeys in salted water under refrigeration for 24 hours.
• 2 combine wine, garlic, paprika, bay leaves, salt, hot pepper sauce and oregano. marinate turkeys in this mixture for 24 hours under refrigeration. turn occasionally.
• 3 when ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees. remove turkeys from marinade, reserving marinade. pack turkeys loosely with stuffing and cover openings of cavities with bread crusts; sew cavities closed. bake remaining stuffing separately during the last half-hour turkeys are roasting.
• 4 wrap turkey wings in foil. put turkeys into roasting pans and top with pieces of bacon, putting some beneath turkeys as well. pour reserved marinade over turkeys.
• 5 roast turkeys for 30 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast turkeys about 2 1/2 hours more. if turkeys get too brown before they are cooked, put aluminum foil over the top. if turkeys are roasted in a single oven, they may need 30 minutes or more of extra roasting time.