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1
Between 24 and 48 hours before cooking, rub the kosher salt all over the turkey, under and over the skin and in the cavities.
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2
Place it in a roasting pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.
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3
The day you plan to serve the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator about 1 hour before roasting.
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4
Using paper towels, dry the turkey inside and out.
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5
Rub the softened butter all over the skin.
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6
Set the turkey breast side down on a roasting rack inside of a roasting pan just big enough to hold the turkey.
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7
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roast the turkey for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Continue to roast, basting the turkey occasionally with the pan juices, for 1 more hour.
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8
Remove the turkey from the oven and carefully turn the bird breast side up.
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9
Continue to roast until the temperature reads 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast away from the bone or 170 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone.
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10
The turkey juices should run clear.
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11
If the breast skin is not brown enough, increase the temperature in the oven to 500 degrees F and roast for 15 minutes until browned.
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12
Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a carving board, loosely tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes while you prepare the gravy from the pan juices.
