Dry-brined roast turkey with ghost pepper herb butter

Mix the kosher salt, brown sugar, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder and dry thyme in a bowl for the dry brine.

Defrost the turkey in the refrigerator at four or five pounds per 24 hours, or submerged in its bag in water changed every 30 to 45 minutes at one pound per 30 minutes.

Remove the neck (keep it for gravy) and the giblet bag from the cavity; pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels and remove any remnant feathers.

Spread the dry brine evenly over the wings, legs, thighs and breast, cut off the Pope's nose, and put a little handful inside.

Set breast up on a baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered 24 to 48 hours (48 here) to dry the skin.

Take the turkey out about 45 minutes before roasting.

Mix the softened butter with the minced garlic, chopped rosemary and thyme, salt, pepper and lemon zest; mince the ghost pepper very fine, seeds included, and mix it in.

Wearing gloves, work buttered fingers slowly under the breast skin to make pockets without ripping it; push balls of herb butter in and squish them down, then butter the whole outside, legs, thighs and wings.

Put onion, the halved garlic and the zested lemon in the cavity and tie the legs closed.

Set the turkey on racks in the roasting pan, tuck the wing tips under, and surround with celery, onion, leeks, carrot and parsnip; pour chicken broth underneath the bird.

Insert thermometer probes: breast set to 155 (it rises after; aim for 160 to 165) and thigh set to 170.

Roast at 450 for 30 minutes, then turn the oven down.

Baste with the pan juices, including the vegetables.

Where the breast is ahead of the thigh, shield it with a piece of foil with a hole for the probe, anchored by a second piece. Scatter more thyme and rosemary in the pan.

When both probes read ready, remove them. Keep the pan liquid for gravy.

Rest about 15 minutes, then carve off each breast, hugging the bone, and slice.