Full question
I have 8 people round for Xmas dinner this year, one of which is my Dad who, bless his heart, has said he has ordered & paid for the Turkey crown from the local butcher already as a thank you for hosting. In an attempt to make things easier he has ordered a boneless crown, which from memory comes in netting to keep it all together. What I was wondering though is should I leave this on when soaking, as the recipe says to remove all string and trussing (appreciate that is for a full turkey though).
Our answer
Nigella's Spiced And Superjuicy Roast Turkey (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS soaks the turkey in a saline bath that has been spiced with aromatics and herbs. The brine helps to season the turkey and keep it moist as it roasts. Turkey crowns need less time in the oven, so there is much less risk of the breast meat drying out. However crowns can benefit from a short soak in brine before cooking.
If the crown is boneless then the netting is probably there to keep the shape of the crown, as well as keeping the two breasts together, and we suspect that it is best to keep the netting in place. For a trussed whole turkey it is best to remove the string to let the brine circulate easily around the thighs and into the cavity of the bird, for a crown this is not an issue. For a crown we would suggest making up a half quantity of the brine and soaking the crown for 6 hours. If necessary this can be done on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, then the turkey can be removed from the brine and left in a dish the fridge, loosely covered, until ready to cook.
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