Turkey Brine

In a stockpot, stir together the salt, brown sugar, sage leaves, thyme sprig, rosemary sprig and 2 quarts of water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat, and add the cold water to cool the brine to room temperature. Editor’s Tip: Can you make the brine ahead of time? Sure! Store it in the refrigerator in a covered stockpot or a large container for up to five days.

Remove the turkey from the packaging, and set aside the neck and giblets for make-ahead turkey gravy. Using your fingers, gently loosen the skin from the turkey breast, legs and thighs.

Place a turkey-size oven roasting bag inside a second roasting bag. Place the turkey in the bag, and transfer it to a deep pan (like a stockpot or a roasting pan). Carefully pour the cooled brine into the bag with the turkey. Squeeze out as much air as possible, and seal the inner bag. Then, seal the outer bag. Carefully turn and rotate the bag to coat the turkey. Brine the turkey in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally. Editor’s Tip: If you decide to spatchcock the turkey, cut it before submerging it in the brine.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Drain and discard the brine. Rinse the turkey to remove excess salt, and pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Editor’s Tip: You can brine turkey in advance and let it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator for an additional 24 hours. This dries out the exterior to produce the crispest turkey skin.

Place the softened butter, olive oil, parsley sprigs, sage leaves, rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, garlic cloves, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. Rub half of the herb butter under the turkey skin, using your hands to spread it evenly over the breast, leg and thigh meat. Rub the remaining butter mixture over the skin. Tuck the wings behind the turkey, and tie the legs together with a piece of butcher’s twine. Secure the skin to the underside of the breast with toothpicks. This protects the skin from shrinking, which would expose the breast meat to high heat that could dry it out. Editor's Tip: Transfer the herb butter to a pastry or piping bag to make it easier to distribute underneath the turkey skin.

Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan. (The rack promotes airflow by keeping the turkey off the bottom of the pan. If you don’t have a rack, you can use vegetables and other aromatics, such as onions, carrots, celery, garlic and herbs.) Roast at 450° for 30 minutes to brown the skin. Reduce the oven setting to 325°. Roast for 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours longer, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh meat reads 180°, basting twice during the final 30 minutes of cooking. You can cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil if it browns too quickly. Editor’s Tip: Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook faster than unbrined turkeys. Determining how long to cook a turkey depends on several factors, which is why we recommend using a meat thermometer.

Remove the turkey to a serving platter. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes before carving. Editor's Tip: Our guide on how to carve a turkey will help you feel ultra-confident about carving the bird.