The bird itself is not the problem. Turkey contributes zero grams of carbohydrate, and its protein and fat actually blunt the rise from the starchy sides stacked next to it. The blood sugar risk at Thanksgiving almost never comes from the turkey; it comes from the dressing, candied yams, mac and cheese, and pie. The two real traps are a sugar-heavy brine or glaze and a flour-thickened gravy, which is why the gravy is handled as its own recipe here.

1. Dry-brine 24 hours ahead: pat the bird bone dry, then rub a 12-14 lb turkey all over with 2 1/2 tbsp kosher salt plus 1 tsp black pepper - skin, cavity, and under the wings. Set it on a rack on a sheet pan, uncovered, in the coldest part of the fridge; the dry surface is what crisps the skin. 2. Pull the turkey 45 minutes before roasting and leave it on the counter so it cooks evenly. 3. Mash 3 tbsp softened butter with 1 tbsp chopped sage, 1 tbsp thyme, and 1 tsp smoked paprika. 4. Loosen the skin over both breasts and slide the herb butter in a thin layer directly onto the meat, working toward the thighs without tearing the skin. 5. Brush 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar over the outside of the skin and into the cavity. This is the browning and flavor layer, not a brine. 6. Roast breast-side up on a rack in a shallow pan at 325 F. Unstuffed, plan 13-15 min per lb: about 2 3/4 hours for 12 lb, 3 1/4 hours for 14 lb. Start checking 45 minutes before your target. 7. Baste with pan juices every 40 minutes. No sugar glaze, honey, or fruit juice. 8. At 20 minutes left, brush the second 1 tbsp cider vinegar over the breast. Late only - earlier, the acid and moisture soften the skin. 9. Pull at 160 F in the thickest part of the thigh, away from bone. Tent with foil and rest 30 minutes; carryover takes it to 165 F. 10. Deglaze the pan over medium heat with a splash of cider vinegar, scraping up the browned bits. Build pan gravy from the drippings: pour off the fat, keep 2 tbsp, whisk in 2 tbsp flour, cook 2 minutes, then stream in 2 cups turkey stock with the drippings and simmer 6-8 minutes. Taste before salting - the drippings are already seasoned. 11. Serve 4 oz of meat per person, going heavier on white meat if watching saturated fat. Leftovers keep 3-4 days refrigerated.

Zero grams of carbohydrate per serving, so this is the one dish on the table you never need to portion carefully. The listed nutrition is approximate, and sodium climbs with brining, so drink water and go light on added salt elsewhere on the plate.