How to Dry Brine and Roast a Turkey

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary, the leaves from about one 9-inch sprig
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
• 3/4 tablespoon dried sage, or 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
• 1 1/4 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, ground
• 3 tablespoons Morton's kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Zest from 2 lemons
• 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 natural turkey, thawed
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 2 to 3 cups of turkey or chicken stock, if needed

Directions

1. Make the brine mixture in a medium-sized bowl by adding the garlic, the fresh parsley, rosemary and thyme, the sage, crushed black peppercorns, kosher salt, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix everything until it looks evenly blended. Cut the remaining lemons into quarters, then set those aside to go inside the turkey later.
2. About 24 to 72 hours before roasting, unwrap the thawed turkey and discard the packaging. If there is a pop-up thermometer, pull it out. Take out the giblets and neck, and keep them if you plan to use them for gravy or stock.
3. Set the turkey either on a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet, or on the roasting rack inside the roasting pan, depending on what fits in your refrigerator. Blot the turkey very well with paper towels, getting both the inside and outside dry. Gently separate the skin from the meat over the breast and legs.
4. Work about half of the brine beneath the loosened skin, rubbing it over the breast and leg meat. Use 1/4 of the mixture on the outside of the turkey, and the last 1/4 inside the cavity. Chill the turkey uncovered for 24 to 72 hours.
5. When you are ready to cook, move an oven rack to the bottom third of the oven and heat it to 425 degrees F.
6. If the turkey is not already there, place it on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Fill the cavity with the quartered onion and lemon, along with the remaining fresh herbs from the dry brine.
7. For trussing, tuck the wings as neatly as you can underneath the bird. Slide butcher's twine under the turkey near the wings, cross it at the neck, loop each end around the end of a leg, and tie the legs together.
8. Roast at 425 degrees F until patches of the skin begin to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting for another 45 minutes.
9. Turn the pan, spoon the drippings over the turkey, and cover the breast loosely with foil so it does not cook too quickly. If there are not enough pan juices for basting, heat a cup or two of chicken broth on the stovetop or in the microwave, then use that instead.
10. Keep roasting until an instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees F when inserted into the meatiest part of a thigh without hitting bone. Plan on another 30 to 45 minutes, checking the temperature and basting every 15 minutes until the turkey is done.
11. Move the turkey to a clean cutting board and cover it loosely with foil. Rest it for 20 minutes before carving. Take a tiny victory lap, then hand the dishes to someone else.