Instructions: Put all ingredients in a nonreactive metal 8-quart pot. Bring to a boil and cool in ice bath. To make an ice bath, fill your sink with water and add ice to bring the temperature down. Place the uncovered pot in the sink, occasionally stirring the mixture to bring the temperature down to about 40 degrees.

This recipe makes enough for a 12-pound turkey.

To brine the turkey:
Rinse the turkey. Set aside the giblets, reserving for gravy if desired.

Place the turkey in the pot with the brine and brine overnight or about 16 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry.

Set the turkey on a nonreactive tray, and place in the refrigerator overnight or about 16 to 24 hours. Do not cover because the brine creates a pellicle, or a protective covering.

To roast the turkey:
Place the turkey in a roasting pan and roast breast-side up in a 325-degree oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh portion comes out at 180 degrees.

Giblet gravy:
If youre planning on having gravy with your turkey dinner, Stephans suggests you could prepare a mirepoix to place inside or next to your turkey while it roasts.

The mirepoix is a combination of eight ounces chopped onion, and four ounces each chopped carrots and celery. These vegetables should be placed in the cavity of the bird or alongside it just before roasting.

The merging of the vegetables flavors with the turkeys drippings makes an excellent gravy, according to Stephans.

While the turkey is roasting, place the heart, gizzard and neck in a saucepan. Reserve the liver for dressing if desired.

Cover the giblets with water and simmer until very tender, about 2 to 3 hours. Reserve the broth and giblets.

When the turkey is ready, remove the bird from the roaster and set aside for carving.

Pour off the fat from the drippings in the roasting pan and reserve. Set the roasting pan with the drippings and mirepoix on the range and begin browning the mirepoix. Brown lightly if a light gravy is desired or heavily for a darker gravy.

With a quart of chicken stock, deglaze the pan. Pour this broth into a saucepan along with another 2 quarts of stock and the giblet broth. Bring to a simmer and degrease well.

Make a blond roux with 6 ounces flour and 6 ounces of the reserved fat from the roasting pan. Beat the roux into the gravy to thicken it.

Simmer at least 15 minutes or until the gravy is smooth. Strain and season with salt and pepper.

At this point, you can chop the reserved giblets into fine pieces and add to the gravy.

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