Published November 1, 2006.
We wanted to develop an alternative method to brining—a salted turkey recipe that would both season the meat and keep it moist . We discovered that salting the turkey and refrigerating it for 24 to 48 hours left most of the meat nicely seasoned but not as moist. Since the dryness was concentrated in the breast, we iced the breast before the turkey went into the oven, allowing us to remove the turkey when the dark meat was thoroughly cooked but the breast wasn’t overdone.
This recipe was developed and tested using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you have Morton's Kosher Salt, which is denser than Diamond Crystal, use only 4 1/2 teaspoons of salt in the cavity, 2 1/4 teaspoons of salt per each half of the breast, and 1 teaspoon of salt per leg. Table salt is too fine and not recommended for this recipe. If you are roasting a kosher or self-basting turkey (such as a frozen Butterball), do not salt it; it already contains a good amount of sodium.
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