New England Roast Turkey

Dublin, N.H., is the home of Yankee Magazine, founded by Robb Sagendorph in 1935, “for Yankee readers, by Yankee writers, and about Yankeedom.” Its brief: to express and preserve New England culture, from pretty farm towns to curiosities found in the barn. Does that culture see its highest form in a recipe for a classic New England roast turkey, the sort that has adorned tables from Portsmouth north for generations? It very well may. What follows is an adaptation of an old Yankee recipe that is as solid and unfancy as granite itself. Old-line New Englanders may be tempted to soak an old cotton button-down dress shirt in butter and drape it over the bird for the first two hours. But this is not necessary.

Ingredients

• 1 12- to 14-pound turkey
• 2 ¼ cups kosher salt, more as needed
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked, more as needed
• 3 sprigs each fresh rosemary, thyme and sage
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 ribs of celery, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

    784 calories; 27 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 18 grams sugars; 106 grams protein; 353 milligrams cholesterol; 3343 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
  Powered by DiningAndCooking.com

12 or more servings

Preparation

1. Rinse turkey under cold water and place on a rack in its roasting pan while you make the brine.
2. For the brine, combine salt, sugar, bay leaves, pepper and herbs with 2 1/2 gallons water in a pot or cooler large enough to hold turkey comfortably. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Put turkey in brine and refrigerate or ice overnight, at least 12 hours.
3. When ready to cook, heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove bird from brine, drain well and pat very dry with paper towels. Discard brine. Set turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack set into a large roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper, then fill the cavity with onion, celery and carrots. Fold wings under the bird and tie its legs together with butcher’s twine. Roast for 30 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast approximately 3 hours more, basting bird every 30 minutes with drippings and tenting it with foil if skin is turning too dark, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 165 degrees. Transfer to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest at least 30 minutes before carving.