The Day Before: Brine.

Bring one gallon chicken or vegetable stock to a boil. (One gallon water plus 12 chicken bouillon cubes may be substituted for stock.)

Add: 1 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon allspice (optional).

Stir until salt and brown sugar are dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

Late that evening, ideally 12-16 hours before cooking, obtain a punch cooler or other cooler large enough to contain a completely submerged turkey. Add brine, turkey, and enough heavily iced cold water to completely cover turkey and bring water temperature down to or below the prescribed food safety standard of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Refrigerate or otherwise maintain a liquid temperature of 40 degrees or below until perparation time.

Easy alternative: Have an extra stick of butter on hand.

Day and time of Preparation:

Note: A meat thermometer, preferably the electronic kind, is strongly recommended.

Obtain one husband, if available, to empty brining container and remove turkey from the liquid. Failure to do so may result in a mildly strained rotator cuff. (E.g. my right shoulder.) Discard liquid. (If you opted for the easy alternative, slice stick of butter into plates about 1/4 inch thick. Insert sliced plates beneath skin in the breast area. Distribute butter slices as evenly as possible, except for a few extra slices near the top centerline.)

Brush skin with melted butter. Canola oil is OK, but nothing does poultry skin justice quite like butter.

Sear turkey uncovered in a 475 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Insert meat thermometer into thickest portion of breast, taking care not to contact any bone. Reduce heat to 340 degrees; cover entire breast area with double-folded aluminum foil, taking care to leave thighs and legs uncovered.

Roast until indicated temperature is 161 degrees. Since dark meat (the uncovered thighs) is best heated to 180 degrees, the thighs ought to have reached approximately 180 degrees when the breast meat reaches 161. The result: perfectly done breast and dark meat.

Rest bird, then slice as desired. Deliciously moist, it slices as smoothly and easily as angel food cake.

Enjoy!

You’ll have to compete with my cousin and her family.

Sixty minutes per pound is more befitting a slow-roasted beef brisket or Boston pork butt.  For turkey, time per pound depends on your cooking technique, but for scheduling purposes plan on 15 minutes per pound at 350 degrees.  Roasting at 325 will put you more in the 17-18 minutes per pound range.  If you stuff the bird, that also adds some cooking time.

Since food safety is the most important consideration of all, an internal temperature of at least 161 in the thickest part of the breast is essential (it will continue to cook after removing from oven).  Relying on the pop-up indicator that comes embedded with some brands will result in drier breast meat (these included indicators pop up at around 175 degrees internal temperature), but it will definitely ensure food safety.

If your plan to use a meat thermometer (recommended) and your turkey comes with a pop-up indicator embedded in it, don’t remove it. Removing the indicator will leave a nice hole through which your flavorful juices and moisture will escape.

Good luck!

I have never tried the fried approach. One day, maybe.

Once again, sys, you have shown that great minds think alike. I was motivated to reorganize the kitchen. Figured what needed to be done, how long it would take, and rationalized, its been this way for over a year, what’s the rush.
Went back to the recliner to watch football. But I am still motivated to reorganize the kitchen. : )