The best roast turkey

Before you start

Why it’s the best roast turkey
Brining made easy:A traditionally brined turkey usually involves the arduous process of precariously balancing a large vat of water inside an already full fridge. Dry-brining (essentially a light cure) is much simpler and in our opinion provides better results. The salt draws moisture out of the turkey through osmosis, which creates a brine as the turkey’s juices mix with the salt. This briny mixture then begins to penetrate the meat, allowing for seasoning to occur throughout rather than just on the surface, and filling the meat with moisture. It’s a key step to prevent dry meat and adds a little fragrance via thyme and lemon zest to boot.

Magic mayo: Brushing a turkey with mayonnaise might sound weird, but all you’re really doing is just covering it with seasoned oil and egg yolk – two ingredients that create a golden glaze and a crisp exterior. Applying it with a brush ensures you get a nice, even browning all over your bird, which makes it look fantastic and is tough to achieve with pure oil or fat.

Fierce then gentle: Blasting the bird with a high heat when it first goes in the oven gives you perfectly browned and crisp skin. The heat can then be turned down and liquid added to create a steamier environment which prevents the meat from drying out while it finishes cooking through.

Extra leg-work: Turkey is generally dry because it’s been overcooked – they’re big, uneven things, so the breasts cook through a while before the denser dark meat in the legs is ready. The simplest way to solve that problem is to remove the bird from the oven when the breasts are done, carve off the legs and put them back in the oven to finish while the crown rests. Easy!

Be a better cook: The quality of your turkey is paramount – if you can, buy a fresh free-range bird for the very best flavour and texture.

Make ahead: You can leave the turkey dry-brining for up to 2 days if you want.

Don’t waste it: Save the turkey resting juices and the wine from the roasting tray to make your gravy.