Description
A perfectly seasoned and juicy turkey. My friend from France taught me to cook turkey like this, but she never measures anything so use your own judgment for vegetable amounts, etc. I usually err on the side of ‘more is better’!
Ingredients
- 1 (18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
- 2 cups kosher salt
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry white wine
Instructions
- Rub turkey inside and out with kosher salt; place in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Cover and refrigerate to allow turkey to soak in brine solution for 12 hours
- or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey; discard the brine mixture.
- Brush turkey with 1/2 of the melted butter. Place breast-side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff turkey cavity with 1/2 the onion
- 1/2 the carrots
- 1/2 the celery
- 1 sprig of thyme
- and bay leaf. Scatter remaining vegetables and thyme in the bottom of the roasting pan; pour white wine over vegetables.
- Roast turkey in the preheated oven
- uncovered
- until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear
- about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Carefully turn turkey breast-side up about 2/3 through the roasting time
- and brush with remaining butter. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh
- near the bone
- should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- Allow turkey to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 4 hrs
Total Time: 17 hrs
Servings: 24