Roasted Turkey with Wine Butter and Chestnut Stuffing (Brined)

A full 24 hours of brining results in wonderfully juicy and flavourful turkey. The turkey skin turns out crispy and deep golden-brown thanks to the butter-soaked cheesecloth that covers the breast during the first half of roasting time.

Brine:
3 cups coarse sea salt
5 cups sugar
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
10 cups water

Turkey:
1 (8-10 lb) fresh whole turkey, rinsed and patted dry, giblets and neck reserved for gravy
½ cup butter (1 stick), melted
½ cup dry white wine, such as; Sauvignon Blanc
¼ cup butter, softened
sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
1 recipe Chestnut Stuffing

Garnish:
Crab apples, fresh rosemary sprigs and fresh sage (optional)

For the Brine:
Put salt, sugar, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat; let brine cool completely.

Brine the Turkey:
Add turkey, breast first, to the brine. Cover; refrigerate 24 hours. Remove from brine; pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7).  Place oven rack in lowest position.

Stir together melted butter and wine in a medium bowl. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover the breast and halfway down the sides of the turkey. Immerse cloth in butter mixture; let soak.

Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan. Fold the wing tips under the turkey. Sprinkle 1 tsp. each salt and pepper inside the turkey. Loosely fill body and neck cavities with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fold neck flap under; secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey all over with softened butter; season with salt and pepper.

Remove cheesecloth from the butter mixture, squeezing gently into the bowl. Reserve butter mixture for brushing. Lay cheesecloth over turkey. Place turkey, legs first, in the oven. Roast for 30 minutes. Brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture.

Reduce temperature to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Roast, brushing every 30 minutes, 2½ hours more; cover with foil if browning too quickly. If making gravy, add giblets and neck to pan 1½ hours after reducing temperature; roast 30 minutes, and reserve.

Discard cheesecloth; rotate pan. Baste turkey with pan juices. Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180°F and stuffing reaches 165°F, about 1 hour.

Transfer to a platter. Set pan with drippings aside for gravy.

Let the turkey stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Garnish, if desired.