Dry Brine Turkey with Orange-Rosemary Herb Butter

Step 1

Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Wipe any moisture from the turkey with a paper towel. Place the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet or something for it to sit on while brining in the fridge.

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine the Kosher salt, coconut sugar, and black pepper. Rub the mixture all over the skin of the bird. Wrap the bird in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 days. At the beginning of the 3rd day, remove the plastic wrap and let the bird dry, uncovered, in the fridge for the last day of brining. This will make the skin crisp up nicely.

Step 3

Make the herb butter by placing the soft butter in a bowl. Add the zest from both oranges and the lemon to the butter. Add the rest of the herb butter ingredients. Reserve the zested oranges and lemon for later use in the recipe. (You may want to cover them in plastic wrap, too, if it'll be more than a day before you cook the turkey.)

Step 4

Mix the herb butter well, then transfer it to one side of a large piece of parchment paper. Fold the edge of the paper over the butter, an using your hands, form it into a log shape, rolling it up in the parchment and twisting the ends to seal. Chill until ready to use.

Step 5

About an hour before you plan on roasting the turkey, remove it from the fridge. Wipe some of the excess brine from the skin with a paper towel. Do not rinse.

Step 6

Use your fingers to loosen the skin from the meat around the breast area. You may need to use the end of a mixing spoon to detach the skin around the top of the breast if it's hard to reach with your fingers. Be careful not to pull too hard and tear the skin too badly. Do the same with the leg and thigh areas, making a small incision between the leg and the thigh to access both areas.

Step 7

Insert the herb butter under the skin in the breast, leg, and thigh areas.

Step 8

Pull out the reserved oranges and lemon. Slice them in half and put two halves along with two lemon halves and a couple of herb sprigs in the cavity of the chicken.  Put one orange half (reserve the last orange half for the gravy) in the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the onion, celery, carrots, herbs, and 2 cups of water. Place the roasting rack on top.

Step 9

Tuck the wings behind the body and tie the legs together. Place the turkey, BREAST-SIDE DOWN (yes, upside down) on the roasting rack.

Step 10

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and let the turkey sit at room temperature until the oven heats up. Roast on the bottom rack for 1 hour.

Step 11

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Flip the turkey over using heavy tongs and an oven mitt, so it is breast-side up. Baste, and continue to roast, basting every 20-30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast is 155-160 degrees. My 12.5 pound turkey was finished in about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Step 12

Remove the turkey from the oven and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before slicing so the juices don't run out all over.

Step 13

To make the gravy, use a slotted spoon to fish out the vegetables and the orange half. Place the roasting pan (if it is stove-top safe) over medium heat. Whisk 2 cups of the broth with the tapioca starch and pour it into the gravy, whisking constantly. Cook until the gravy is bubbly and thickened slightly. Add the butter or ghee and stir until smooth. Taste, and add salt, if needed. Strain and keep warm until ready to serve.