Ingredients

• 1 turkey (12-20 lbs or )
• 1 kg salt
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 lemon (optional)
• herb sprigs (optional)
• carrots (optional)
• celery (optional)
• butter
• salt and pepper

1. If your turkey is frozen, thaw it out. Leave it in your fridge, in its plastic wrapper, for five hours per pound. If you’re using a 15-pound turkey, that means it’s going to take about three days to thaw — be sure to plan accordingly!
2. Make sure your turkey is pretty close to being thawed before brining, otherwise the turkey will not absorb the solution. First, remove the giblets bag from the turkey and reserve in the refrigerator (I use them to make stock, which I add to the gravy). Find a clean plastic container that is big enough to completely submerge the turkey — a large picnic cooler or industrial-sized bucket should work. Place the turkey in the container along with the salt and brown sugar. Fill the bucket with cold water, cover, and let sit for four hours for a turkey under 12 pounds or six hours for a larger turkey. If you can fit the container in the refrigerator, put it in, if not, put in the coolest area possible and replenish with cold water if the water temperature starts to warm. Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse under cold water to remove the salt solution, and pat dry. Put the turkey in a roasting pan uncovered and refrigerate overnight so that it can dry out.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees C. Prepare your turkey for roasting. If you like your stuffing in the bird, stuff it now. If you prefer to do stuffing in a casserole dish, stuff the cavity with aromatics such as a lemon cut in halves, carrots, celery, and fresh herb sprigs and skewer the opening of the cavity shut. With the turkey breast side up, brush it with melted butter and season with salt and pepper.
4. Roast turkey for about 20 minutes per pound, until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees F when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (be careful not to touch the bone with the end of the thermometer). Baste with juices at the bottom of the pan at regular intervals throughout roasting. If you find the turkey skin is getting too browned before it’s done cooking, cover the breasts with foil.
5. Take the turkey out of the oven, tent it with foil, and let it rest for about 30 minutes (it can sit longer if the rest of the meal isn’t finished yet or if the turkey cooked more quickly than you anticipated). Carve and serve.

Here is how Butterball suggests brining.