Brined and time to shine. I rough chopped onions, celery and carrots for the turkey to rest on in the roasting pan. I peppered the cavity then stuck one quartered onion and halved lemon in the cavity along with rosemary, thyme and sage. I then created an herb butter comprised of softened Irish Butter (as to not burn the skin), rosemary, thyme and 6 minced cloves of garlic. Add a little salt and pepper and combine. I put the butter underneath the skin of the breast and patted it down. Next, I added butter all over the rest of the turkey. Into the oven at 325 degrees for about 3.5 hours. I inserted a thermometer into the deepest part of the breast and cooked it to 160 degrees. Out the oven and let it sit for an hour. It came out beautifully. The turkey received an overwhelmingly favorable response with even some superlatives hurled my way. The dry brine was a huge success as the meat was perfectly moist throughout. Not bad for a first-timer!
