How to Roast a Turkey

Purchase a ~12 pound whole turkey

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C)

Clean the turkey by getting rid of any organs or giblets

Put the turkey in a rack inside of a roasting pan

In a small mixing bowl, add 1 stick of softened unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon of ground sage, 1-2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper

Once the seasonings are all mixed, use your hands to lift the skin from the meat of the turkey and spread the seasoned butter inside and all around

Save a bit of butter to also cover the whole outside of the turkey. Feel free to be generous in spreading this butter mixture

Once the turkey is covered with the seasoned butter, lightly pour a topping of olive oil and the sprinkle a bit of salt again as the last touch

Quarter watery/juicy fruits to place inside the turkey, like oranges, lemons, apples, and tomatoes (this will help the turkey retain some moisture)

In the bottom of the roasting pan (under the rack), fill the rack ~1.5 - 2 inches with stock or broth

Put the turkey pan inside the oven at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) to begin baking

During the baking process, be sure to baste all over the turkey every 30 minutes with the broth at the bottom of the pan

Bake for 3 - 3.5 hours (or until a thermometer inside the thickest part of the turkey reads 180 degrees F/82 degrees C)

After the turkey is finished baking, let it sit for 20-30 minutes before you carve it