Turkey for Twenty

turkey thanksgiving rosemary sage thyme butter garlic dinner entertaining fall

Kat Boytsova

20 servings

Ingredients

3/4 cup Diamond Crystal or 7 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 skin-on, bone-in turkey legs (thigh and drumstick attached) and 2 split skin-on, bone-in turkey breasts (about 16 lb. total; from two 10–12-lb. turkeys)

4 sprigs rosemary plus 1/4 cup rosemary leaves

4 small or 2 large sprigs sage plus 1/4 cup sage leaves

4 sprigs thyme plus 1/4 cup thyme leaves

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided

3 heads of garlic, halved crosswise, divided

Method

Mix salt, brown sugar, and pepper with your fingertips in a medium bowl to combine.

Place turkey legs on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place breasts on another wire rack set inside another rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle dry brine all over outside of turkey, patting to adhere and nudging into crevices (you won’t need all of the brine, but it’s good to have extra since some of it will fall onto the baking sheet). Chill, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.

Transfer turkey pieces to a large platter and rinse baking sheets and racks (turkey will most likely release some liquid onto pans). Line each baking sheet with 3 layers of foil, then set wire racks back inside. Place turkey legs and breasts skin side up on separate racks. Let sit at room temperature 2–3 hours.

Place oven racks in bottom and top third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Tie rosemary, sage, and thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine at bottom of stems so that they resemble an herb mop. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 2 garlic halves cut side down until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add remaining butter and cook until melted. Reduce heat to low, add herb bundle stem side up, and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter is infused, about 15 minutes; discard garlic.

Mix rosemary, sage, and thyme leaves in a medium bowl. Loosen skin on turkey breasts and thighs. Using your palm, nudge small handfuls of herb leaves between flesh and skin. Arrange remaining 4 garlic halves around turkey pieces. Pour 1 cup water into each pan. Using herb bundle, baste turkey and garlic with infused butter. Roast turkey, basting with herb bundle and rotating pans top to bottom and front to back every 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150°F and thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 40–50 minutes (some pieces may be done faster than others, so check more than one piece each time). Let turkey rest 30 minutes before carving. Serve with roasted garlic alongside.