Recipe by Adam Pearson and photography by Matt Armendariz
Dry brining is an efficient way to infuse your turkey with a burst of savoury, aromatic flavours. With this technique, the turkey's natural juices combine with the spiced seasoning, resulting in a moist and incredibly tasty bird.
Ingredients
12-14 lb turkey, thawed
Brine
8 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper
tablespoons dried oregano
tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoons dried thyme
Butter
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon sage, roughly chopped
3 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Method
Combine all dry brine ingredients together in a bowl.
Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and place the cleaned and thawed turkey on the rack, remove any giblets etc from inside the turkey and pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
Rub the brine all over the skin of the turkey, don't forget to get the underside.
Transfer the turkey, uncovered to the refrigerator and refrigerate for at least 24 hrs and up to 72 hours.
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and place on a rack in a large roasting pan. Let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450.
In a food processor, combine the butter, zest, herbs, salt and pepper, Pulse to combine into a smooth paste.
Rub the butter mixture all over the bird and under the skin, tie the legs with kitchen twine and place into the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drop the temperature to 350 and continue to roast until golden brown and the breast has reached an internal temperature of 165, about 2 more hours.
Remove from the oven, let rest for 30 minutes, carve and serve.