will help keep bacteria at bay. I've dry brined for the past few years and it makes an amazing turkey. Haven't spatchcocked a turkey yet but I do it all the time with chicken and it's fabulous.
Simple Dry-Brined Roast Turkey
Serves 8 to 10
INGREDIENTS
1 (14 to 16-pound) turkey, thawed, giblets and neck removed
⅓ cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup unsalted butter
PREPARATION
Rinse the turkey under cold water, then dry it thoroughly with paper towels, inside and out. Stir together the salt, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl, then rub the mixture all over the outside of the turkey and inside the cavity. Carefully pull the skin away from the breasts, just enough so that you can rub the brine underneath. Put the turkey on a large, rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for 8 to 12 hours (overnight).
Preheat oven to 450°F and position a rack on the bottom shelf. Make sure there’s enough room for your turkey; take all the other racks out if you have to. Let your butter come to room temperature on the counter while you prepare the turkey.
Rinse the turkey it under cold water to wash away the brine, then dry it thoroughly with paper towels, inside and out. Place the turkey breast side up in a large turkey roasting pan with a rack and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Rub softened butter all over the breast meat of the turkey, carefully pulling the skin away from the breasts to rub butter underneath. Tie the legs together with a long piece of butcher’s twine, then wrap the ends around both sides of the turkey and tie them tightly at the top, right where the turkey’s neck used to be. Tuck the wings underneath the twine.
Add a cup of water to the pan and roast the turkey for 30 minutes at 500°F. (Starting the turkey at a super high temperature makes for crispier skin.) After 30 minutes, turn the oven down to 350°F and continue to roast the turkey for 1½ to 2 hours more, turning the roasting pan after an hour, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 155°F. When the turkey is done, let it rest for at least 20 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board, carve, and serve.
How To Dry-Brine a Turkey
What You Need
Ingredients
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbs, such as thyme, sage, and rosemary, or blend
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14-to-16 pound) thawed whole turkey (not kosher or pre-salted)
Equipment
Small bowl
Measuring spoons
Cutting board
Large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan
Instructions
1. Mix the dry brine together: Mix the salt, pepper, and herbs together in a small bowl.
2. Remove the turkey from the packaging and remove any unnecessary parts: Take the turkey out of the packaging and place on a cutting board. Remove the giblets and neck from inside the cavity and discard or save for another use. Remove or discard any plastic or metal cages or pop-up thermometers.
3. Pat the turkey dry: Pat the outside of the turkey dry with paper towels. (If you are planning to spatchcock your turkey, do it now before you proceed with the next step.)
4. Loosen the skin: Using your hands, loosen the skin over the breast and separate it from the meat, making sure to break through the thin membrane between the skin and breast while leaving the skin itself intact. Loosen the skin over the meaty part of the legs.
5. Season the cavity: Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the salt mixture into the cavity of the turkey.
6. Season the meat: Rub another 2 teaspoons of the salt mixture into the meat of the legs (under the skin). Rub 4 teaspoons of the salt mixture into the meat of the breasts (under the skin).
7. Season the skin: Sprinkle the remaining salt mixture over all the skin of both the breasts and legs.
8. Tuck the wings back: Bend the wings back and tuck under the breast.
9. Refrigerate: Place the turkey breast-side up in a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 day but ideally 3 days. You do not need to pat it dry before cooking — it's ready to be roasted, grilled, or deep-fried!
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