The Word on the Bird

There are as many ways to cook your Thanksgiving turkey as there are sides for the table. Here, we’ve gone back to the basics, focusing on the techniques that yield a crispy, juicy bird: a dry-brine and a hot oven. This technique is best on smaller birds. If you need more turkey—the rule of thumb is one pound per person—roast two small turkeys instead of a large one. Feel free to pack the cavity with anything but stuffing, which slows down the cooking time. Onions, citrus, herbs, and other aromatics are all fine choices. Clarified butter has a higher smoke point than whole butter and lets you roast your bird at a hotter temperature without filling the house with a thick haze. Make your own by melting butter and skimming the milk solids, or use ghee, a product now widely available at many supermarkets.