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1
Make the brine; put ingredients into a large, wide stockpot. Add 6 quarts water. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely.
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2
Submerge turkey, breast side down, in brine. Cover; refrigerate 24 hours, turning turkey once. Remove turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours. Discard brine.
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3
Preheat oven to 425u00b0F with rack in lowest position.
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4
Stir 12 tablespoons melted butter and the wine in a medium bowl. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover breast and halfway down the sides of the turkey. Immerse cloth in butter mixture.
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5
Place turkey breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Fold wing tips under. Season inside turkey with salt and pepper. Loosely fill body and neck cavities with stuffing (about 5 cups in the body and about 1 cup in the neck). Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fold neck flap under; secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey all over with 1/4 cup softened butter; season with salt and pepper.
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6
Remove cheesecloth from butter mixture, squeezing gently into bowl; reserve butter mixture for brushing. Lay cheesecloth over turkey. Place turkey, legs first, into oven. Roast 30 minutes. Brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture.
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7
Reduce temperature to 350u00b0F
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8
Roast, brushing with butter mixture every 30 minutes and rotating once, 2 1/2 hours; tent with foil if browning too quickly. Pour 1/2 cup water into pan if juices are very dark brown.
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9
Discard cheesecloth; rotate pan. Baste turkey with pan juices. Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165u00b0F (stuffing should also register 165u00b0F), 1 1/2 to 2 hours more.
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10
Stir remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the quince syrup in a bowl; brush over turkey during last 10 minutes in oven. Transfer to a platter. Set pan drippings aside for gravy, if desired.
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11
Let turkey stand at room temperature 30 minutes, tented with foil, before carving. Garnish with quinces and thyme.
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12
DIRECTIONS FOR QUINCE SYRUP.
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13
Bring quinces, sugar, and 4 cups water to a boil in a medium stockpot. Reduce heat. Place a lid from a slightly smaller saucepot over fruit to keep submerged, and simmer until the liquid is pale pink and has been reduced to a thin syrup, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Strain; reserve cooked quinces for another use. Stir in lemon juice. Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.
