But if you find yourself lying awake at night in fear that the bag will break and the water will leak, creating a massive mess, consider dry brining. In this method, you salt the bird, put it in a bag without water, and into the refrigerator for four days. (See recipe.)
Trussing - tying the bird tightly - also keeps moisture in and creates that perfect Norman Rockwell shape.
To truss, use a 12-foot length of cooking twine and start with the bird on its back, with the legs facing you.
Make a loop in the twine and hook that over the turkey's neckbone. Pull the twine down either side of the breast and tie a knot at the bottom.
Then, working with one leg at a time, loop the twine around a leg, then up that side of the breast, and down the other side. Do the same with the other length of twine and the second turkey leg.
Now for the wings. Loop the two ends of twine up and around each wing, flipping the bird in the process, and tie a knot on the back. Flip the bird back to breast-side-up and tie the final knot over the legs. Trim the excess ends of twine.
There's a good video demonstration of trussing - and carving - by Alton Brown on youtube.com.
Dry-Brined Turkey
Makes enough for a 14- to 16-pound turkey; takes 4 days
1 (14- to 16-pound) fresh turkey
3 tablespoons kosher salt
12-foot length of cooking twine
1/4 stick unsalted butter
(optional)
1. Wash the turkey inside and out. Pat it dry and weigh it. Measure 1 tablespoon of salt into a bowl for every 5 pounds the turkey weighs (for a 15-pound turkey, you'd have 3 tablespoons).
2. Sprinkle the inside of the turkey lightly with salt. Place the turkey on its back and salt the breasts, concentrating the salt in the center, where the meat is thickest. You'll probably use a little more than a tablespoon there.
