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Photo Credit: Brittany Conerly
Dry-Brined Turkey:
1 whole turkey (12 to 15 pounds)
Kosher salt
Cajun Butter:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon no-salt Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For Roasting:
4 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or turkey stock
½ cup dry white wine, such as
Chardonnay
Kitchen twine
Turkey injector
Cheesecloth
Dry-brine the turkey: Remove the neck and giblets from inside the turkey cavity. Pat the turkey dry and season generously with salt, using 1 tablespoon of kosher salt for every 5 pounds of turkey. Transfer the turkey to the fridge and let it rest for at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.
Remove the turkey from the fridge 1 hour before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Do not rinse the turkey. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Make the Cajun butter: In a medium bowl, stir together the softened butter, rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, lemon juice, and black pepper until evenly combined.
Prepare the turkey for roasting: Use your fingers or a spatula to loosen and lift the skin from the breast and legs. Rub a few tablespoons of the Cajun butter underneath the skin.
Spread half of the remaining Cajun butter on top of the turkey, coating all over, including the legs and wings. Place half of the celery, carrots, onions, and lemons in the cavity of the turkey. Use kitchen twine to tie the
drumsticks together.
Arrange the remaining celery, carrots, onions, and lemons on the bottom of a roasting pan. Pour in the chicken broth and white wine. Place a roasting rack inside the roasting pan on top of the vegetables and set the turkey on top.
Roast the turkey: Roast for 45 minutes. Remove the turkey and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
Cut a piece of cheesecloth large enough to cover the turkey. In a microwave-safe medium bowl, melt the remaining Cajun butter and submerge a piece of cheesecloth in the melted butter.
Fill a turkey injector with the melted butter and inject the turkey in each thigh, breast, drumstick, and wing for a total of 8 spots, using about half of the melted butter. Lay the soaked cheesecloth snug over the top of the turkey, including the wings.
Return the turkey to the roasting rack in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Use the remaining melted butter to baste the turkey without removing the cheesecloth and bake for 2 to 3 hours longer, checking the temperature every 45 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the breast reads 165°F.
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 1 hour before carving