- The Washington Times - Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Speaker John Boehner dons a pair of blue jeans and a chef’s apron in a new video he released ahead of Thanksgiving that explains how to properly brine a turkey, Boehner-style.

The “Boehner Turkey Brine” is five years in the making, after the Republican found a recipe online and “tinkered with it” to perfection.

“I take about eight of quarts water, half a dozen bay leaves, (2 cups) Kosher salt, (3 tbsp) peppercorns, take a big head of garlic, cut it in half,” he explains in the video. “And the real secret, though, is 16 ounces of pure maple syrup.”

Put the ingredients in a pot and bring it close to a boil, then let it cool, he continues. Place a bag in a bucket big enough to hold the turkey after it’s been rinsed off. Place the turkey in the bag and pour the cooled brine over the turkey. Leave it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

After rinsing the turkey off, Mr. Boehner says for the first half of the cook time, he cooks the turkey breast down. Then he flips it over and lets it cook the rest of the time breast up.

“I only cook my bird to about 160 [degrees] — max,” he says. “Then I take it out, I pul foil over it and let it sit for at least an hour. It’s the resting time that really works.”

“If you end up giving this a try, let me know how it goes,” Mr. Boehner said on his website. “As for side dishes, I’d recommend my grandmother’s creamed spinach. You can’t beat it.”

• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.

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