Dry-brined roast turkey with gravy

Make the dry brine: salt, a little sugar, MSG and plenty of ground pepper. Make more than you think you need, since the excess falls away.

Break down the turkey. Pull out the giblet bag and check by hand for a second one.

Take off the wings and legs with small shallow cuts through the skin, finding the joint rather than cutting through bone; go around the oyster and release it with your thumb, then crack the joint.

Keep the turkey on the crown, remove the backbone through the ribs, and reserve it for the gravy.

Pat the bird dry and apply the dry brine generously all over. No spices; this is salt and pepper cooking.

Roast the backbone and neck bone at about 400 until brown and some fat has rendered.

Put the roasted neck and back in a pressure cooker with boxed chicken stock, carrot, celery, thyme and garlic and cook one hour; use the stock for the stuffing and the gravy.

Brown all the turkey pieces in oil one by one and lay them on a tray.

Fill the tray with butter, baste every piece, and roast in the oven.

For the gravy, whisk flour into the reserved basting butter to make a roux.

Let everything cool down before portioning.

Carve a few slices of turkey, lay them on a tray and freeze dry them.