TF's Roast Turkey

Serve with cornbread stuffing and cranberry relish.

Ingredients:
1 (12 to 14) pound fresh turkey
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for sage butter:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped sage
salt and pepper

Preparing the turkey:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven.

Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with stuffing and, if required, truss the legs. Cover the turkey with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Push the sage butter under the skin of the turkey, being careful not to puncture the skin.

Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, and into the oven. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3 hours total (15 minutes per pound). If the legs or breast brown too quickly during roasting, cover them with foil.

Serves 10 to 12