by Melissa Clark at NYT Cooking
**Total cooking time: our turkeys cook quickly! We’ve found it can be as fast as 10 mins per pound for a turkey with out stuffing. It’s done cooking when the meat thermometer (placed in the thigh and breast) reaches 165F.
Ingredients:
– 1 whole turkey
– coarse kosher salt
– 1 Tbsp black pepper
– 1 lemon, zested and quartered
– 1 bunch fresh thyme or rosemary
– 1 bunch fresh sage
– 12 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
– 1 bottle hard apple cider (12oz)
– dry white wine, as needed
– 2 onions, peeled and quartered
– 3 bay leaves
– olive oil or melted butter as needed
Instructions:
1. Remove giblets from cavity and reserve for stock or gravy. Pat turkey and neck dry with paper towel. Rub all over with 1/2 tsp salt per pound of turkey, the pepper and lemon zest. Transfer to a large plastic bag, tuck 6 garlic cloves and the herb bunches inside the bag and let rest in the fridge for 1-3 days in a rimmed pan, turning over once each day.
2. Remove turkey from bag, pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, uncovered, on a baking sheet. Return to the fridge and let sit for 4-12 hours to dry the skin.
3. When ready to cook, remove turkey from fridge and let it come to room temp for 1 hour.
4. Heat oven to 450F. In the bottom of a large roasting pan, add the cider and enough wine to fill the pan to 1/4 inch depth. Add half of the onions, the remaining 6 garlic cloves, and the bay leaves. Stuff the cavity with the lemon wedges and remaining onion quarters. Brush the turkey skin with olive oil or melted butter.
5. Place the turkey on a roasting rack breast side up in the roasting pan. Transfer pan to oven and roast for 30 minutes. Cover breast with aluminum foil. Reduce heat to 350F and continue roasting until done.**
6. Remove from oven and let rest for 30 minutes before carving. Use the pan drippings to make gravy and enjoy!