Best-Ever Buttermilk Brined Roast Turkey | Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

Ingredients

• ¾ cup salt
• 5 tablespoons dried basil, crushed
• 3 tablespoons whole peppercorns, preferably Tellicherry, crushed
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile pepper
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 cups water
• 1 cups apple cider
• 4 quarts buttermilk
• 1 turkey, ideally never frozen, 16 to 18 pounds
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons ground thyme
• 2 teaspoons ground sage
• 2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 to 3 celery sticks, cleaned and cut into 2-inch pieces