Brining the turkey: Combine a quart of water in a large pot with the salt, sugar, and garlic. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir until salt is dissolved, then remove from the heat. Add ice and two quarts of cold water, and allow to cool completely. Transfer brine to a three-gallon thermos.

Rinse the turkey well and put it in the brine, neck end down. If needed, add ice water so that there is enough brine to cover the turkey. Set aside for 24 hours, making sure it all stays cold.

Prepping the turkey: Place the herb branches on top of a rack set in a roasting pan. Make sure you have a clean sink and work surface. Transfer the turkey from the brine into your sink. Rinse it until you're sure all of the salt has been rinsed off the outside of the turkey, and then rinse it for a few minutes more. Use paper towels or clean dish towels to dry as well as possible. Place the turkey on top of the herbs in the roasting plan, then place it all in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 12–24 hours.

Roasting: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator, lift the turkey and the rack out of the roasting pan, and set aside on a rimmed baking sheet. If you're using the sumac rub, stir all the ingredients together with the ghee. Massage the ghee or rub all over the skin of the turkey, and let it all sit at room temperature for an hour.

In the meantime, heat the oven to 450°. Fill the pan with something wonderful to bake with the turkey—stuffing, thinly-sliced potatoes, or other roasting vegetables. Set the rack back into the pan in such a way that it is slightly above the yummies. Bake for about two hours, rotating the pan halfway through, and tenting with foil once it's a nice golden brown. The turkey is done when a quick-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the bird registers 155° for the breast and 165° for the thigh, which should be at about the same time (hurray for butterflying!).

Let rest a full thirty minutes before carving and serving.

About that backbone: Have your butcher remove the backbone, and then make sure you take it with you. Roast it ahead of time and use it to make stock, and then use that stock to make gravy.