This family recipe yields a gorgeous, golden bird by basting with butter and wine. It is essential to use a fresh turkey and to brine the night before. I love Alton Brown’s brine, which I adapted. Arrange vegetables under the turkey to flavor the juices that in turn enhance the gravy.

PERFECT ROASTED TURKEY 

Serves 12 to 14

BRINE

1 gallon (128 ounces) vegetable broth

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries

1 1/2 tablespoons candied ginger, chopped

1 package sage, bruised

1 gallon water, iced

Ice

TURKEY

1 20- to 24-pound fresh whole turkey

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1 bottle dry white wine, like Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay

4 shallots, peeled and halved

6 celery stalks

2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered

4 carrots, peeled

Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper

TIMING CHEAT CHART

2 hours at room temperature

30 minutes at 450 degrees

2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees

1 hour at 350 degrees uncovered

30 minutes rest

TOTAL: 6 1/2 hours

The morning before: Combine the broth, salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice, ginger and sage in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate the brine.

The night before: Remove the neck and giblet from the turkey. Rinse the turkey in cool water and dry with paper towels. Combine the brine, water and ice in a 5-gallon bucket or pot. Place the turkey breast-side down in the brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover and refrigerate or place everything in a cooler. Turn the bird once halfway through brining.

6 1/2 hours before: remove the turkey from the brine. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. 

With the rack on the lowest level, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine melted butter and wine in a bowl. Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut into a four-layer, 17-inch square. Soak the cheesecloth in butter and wine. 

Place the turkey breast-side up on a roasting rack in the roasting pan. Season the cavity liberally with salt and freshly-ground pepper. Stuff the turkey with the shallots and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Arrange the celery, onion and carrots underneath the turkey. If the turkey comes with a pop-up timer, remove it. An instant-read thermometer is a much more accurate indication of doneness. Tuck wing tips under body. Fold neck flap under the bird and secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey with softened butter and liberally season with salt and freshly-ground pepper.

Lift cheesecloth out of the liquid and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp. Spread it over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey. It can cover some of the leg area. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. (If your roasting pan fits only sideways in oven, turn the pan every hour so the turkey browns evenly.) Cook for 30 minutes.

Using a pastry brush — much more effective and easy to use than a bulb-style baster — baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of the turkey with reserved melted butter and wine mixture.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes. Watch the pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving for gravy.

After this third hour of cooking, remove and discard cheesecloth. Turn roasting pan so the breast is facing the back of the oven. Baste turkey with pan juices. If there are not enough, continue to use the reserved melted butter and wine. The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully.

Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes. 

After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Do not poke into a bone. The temperature should reach 180 degrees and the turkey should be golden brown. The breast does not need to be checked for temperature.

If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.

When fully cooked, transfer turkey to a serving platter. Reserve the juice for gravy. Let rest for 30 minutes before carving with a good, sharp knife.

EQUIPMENT

© Simple Savant 2018 (brine adapted from Alton Brown)