My first Thanksgiving, shortly after arriving from France in 1982, involved a turkey that had been swaddled in layers of cheesecloth, and patiently basted with butter every twenty minutes for hours. Alas, when our hostess pulled the bird out of the oven and attempted to free it from its wrappings, the skin remained attached to the bandages like a scab, and the turkey was left denuded. It also managed to taste at once dry and fatty.

Having since experimented with over 30 birds, I have become a firm believer in brining. Not only does it ensure a moist, tender bird, but if you include herbs, spices, and a bottle of wine in the mix, it also allows you to infuse your turkey with delicious flavors.
Here is how I make my brine:

Put together in a pot over medium heat: 2 quarts water, 1 bottle sauvignon blanc, 1 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1 cup brown sugar, 5 bay leaves, 5 large sprigs of thyme, 5 sprigs of sage, 1/2 bunch parsley, 4 cloves garlic, crushed, 2 large shallots, chopped, 1 Tbs. juniper berries, 1 Tbs. crushed black pepper. Bring to a boil, and simmer covered until the salt and sugar are disolved. Pour in a large clean bucket, and add 1 gallon ice water. Place your turkey in this brine in the refrigerator overnight, or up to two days.

Remove the bird from the brine and bring to room temperature one hour before roasting. Rub the bird's cavity with butter or duck fat if you have some, and stuff your bird with a mix of chopped shallots, quartered apples and or quince and pears, quartered oranges tossed with thyme, sage, a little salt and pepper. This makes the flesh very sweet and juicy.

Rub the bird's skin with more buter or duck fat, salt and pepper generously. If you want to get fancy, you can stuff sage leaves under the skin, or else just place them on top.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Place the turkey, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan. After an hour, baste with pan juices and turn the turkey breast side up. Keep basting, at least every half hour. Use a brush or a mop, it works a lot better than a bulb baster.

Roast your bird to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.