Bon Appetit Dry Turkey Brine Recipes

DRY-RUBBED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Place salt and brown sugar in a medium bowl and work together with your fingers until incorporated. Place turkey on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. (If you don't have this setup, place your turkey on a V-shape rack set inside a large roasting pan.) Sprinkle dry brine all over outside and inside of turkey, patting to adhere and nudging some into crevices. You won't need all of the dry brine, but it's good to have extra since some of it will end up on the baking sheet as you season the turkey. Chill bird, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
• Remove turkey from wire rack and rinse baking sheet and rack if needed (turkey will most likely release some liquid onto pan). Line baking sheet with 3 layers of foil and set rack back inside. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack and tuck wings underneath. Let turkey sit at room temperature 2-3 hours.
• Place an oven rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°F. Using your fingers, loosen skin on breast. Work 4 Tbsp. butter under skin, spreading evenly over both breasts. Smear outside of turkey with another 4 Tbsp. butter.
• Tie legs together with kitchen twine and pour 1 cup water into baking sheet. Roast turkey, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is mostly golden brown all over, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, garlic, orange zest, and remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting and keep glaze warm.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F and continue to roast turkey, brushing with glaze every 30 minutes and adding more water by 1/2-cupfuls as needed to maintain some liquid in baking sheet, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast near the neck registers 150°F (don't worry; the temperature will continue to climb while the bird rests), 65-85 minutes longer. Skin should be deep golden brown, shiny, and crisp. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before carving.

DRY BRINE TURKEY

Steps:

• Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Season the inside and outside of turkey with kosher salt, focusing on the breast and thighs. Place turkey, breast-side up, in the roasting pan and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate turkey for about 2 days.
• Flip turkey breast-side down, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 1 more day.
• Remove plastic wrap and place turkey on a rack over a baking sheet the night before you plan to roast. Allow turkey to air-dry in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
• Bring turkey to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours; pat dry with paper towels. Season turkey with black pepper and place onion and celery in the cavity.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place turkey, breast-side down, in a roasting pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven until skin is golden, about 30 minutes. Remove turkey from oven and flip to breast-side up. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C); continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 2 hours.
• Transfer turkey to a large platter and loosely tent with aluminum foil; allow turkey to rest about 30 minutes before carving.

VERY CLASSIC DRY-BRINED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Place salt and brown sugar in a medium bowl and work together with your fingers to incorporate. Place turkey on a flat or V-shape roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan. Pack dry brine all over turkey, inside and out, nudging some into areas where the skin naturally separates from the bird, such as around the neck and top of the breast and between the legs and breast. Chill, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
• Place oven rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Rinse turkey and pat dry. Rinse roasting pan and rack if needed. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in roasting pan and pour 1 cup water into pan. This will prevent drippings from burning. Roast turkey, rotating pan back to front halfway through and adding more water by 1/2-cupfuls as needed to maintain some liquid in the pan, until skin is browned all over, 35-45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook rosemary, garlic, butter, and soy sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling and fragrant, about 5 minutes; keep warm.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue to roast turkey, basting with butter mixture every 10-15 minutes and rotating pan every 30 minutes or so if bird is browning unevenly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150°F (temperature will continue to climb as the bird rests), 40-70 minutes longer. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before carving.

DRY-RUBBED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Coarsely grind coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns in spice mill or with mortar and pestle. (If you don't have either, you can always chop with a chef's knife.) Place salt and brown sugar in a medium bowl and work together with your fingers until incorporated. Stir in ground spices.
• Place turkey on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. (If you don't have this setup, place your turkey on a V-shape rack set inside a large roasting pan.) Sprinkle dry brine all over both sides of turkey breast, patting to adhere. You won't need all of the dry brine, but it's good to have extra since some of it will end up on the baking sheet as you season the turkey breast. Chill, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
• Remove turkey breast from wire rack and rinse baking sheet and rack if needed (turkey will most likely release some liquid onto pan). Line baking sheet with 3 layers of foil and set rack back inside. Place turkey breast back on rack and let sit at room temperature 2-3 hours.
• Place an oven rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°F. Pour 1 cup water into baking sheet and roast turkey breast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is mostly golden brown all over, about 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F and continue to roast turkey breast, adding more water by 12-cupfuls as needed to maintain some liquid in baking sheet, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150°F (don't worry; the temperature will continue to climb while the turkey breast rests), 50-70 minutes longer. Skin should be deep golden brown and crisp. Transfer turkey breast to a cutting board and let rest at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before slicing.

TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• In a pot or cooler large enough to hold turkey comfortably, combine salt, sugar, bay leaves, pepper and herbs with 2 1/2 gallons water. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Put turkey in brine and refrigerate or ice overnight, at least 12 hours.