Ingredients:
(10 to 12-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
For the brine:
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water
For the rub:
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• 1 teaspoon dry sage
• 1 teaspoon dry parsley
• 1 teaspoon dry rosemary
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1 head garlic, halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
Directions:
2 to 3 days before roasting:
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
• Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.
• Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil.
• Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
Early on the day or the night before you’d like to eat:
• Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket.
• Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine.
• If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once halfway through brining.
On the day you’d like to eat:
• Adjust a rack to lowest position and remove other racks.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Dry bird well with paper towels, inside and out.
• Mix together parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme.
• Rub the bird with the herb mixture inside and out.
• Stuff the onion, garlic, herbs, and bay leaves inside the breast cavity.
• Set the bird on a roasting rack in a roasting pan; breast side up and brush generously with half the butter.
• Tent the bird with foil.
• Roast the turkey for 2 hours.
• Remove the foil and baste with the remaining butter.
• Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F and continue to roast until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thigh of the bird, about 45 minutes more.
• Remove turkey from the oven and set aside to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
• Carve and serve.
