Preheat oven to 325°F.

Rinse and pat dry the turkey. If your turkey comes with a neck and giblets, use the neck for stock. The giblets can be roasted along with the turkey.

Finely chop a mix of fresh herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme) and mix with butter. The amounts of herbs and butter depends on the size of your turkey. If you end up with extra, it’s OK! You can dollop it on your dressing or add it to your mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables.

Using a silicone spatula or your fingers, make a pocket between the skin and flesh of the turkey. You can be adventurous and try along the thigh and legs too. Spoon the herb butter into the pockets and use the spatula to move it to the bottom of the pocket.

Drizzle olive oil over the bird and rub it in, making sure to get all the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Chop the lemon into quarters and put into the turkey’s cavity along with the whole herbs. Don’t pack it too tightly. Tie the legs together with butcher’s twine. This helps the turkey to cook more evenly and it looks prettier.

Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and roast until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170°. Cooking takes about 15 minutes per pound. About ½ to 1 hour before the bird should be cooked, place a foil cap on the top of the breast; this will help keep the skin from getting too crispy.

When done, let sit for 15–20 minutes before carving. This is about how much time it will take you to make an amazing gravy from the drippings. For a recipe, check out our website.

Cook’s Tip: My trick to roast a supermoist turkey is to cook it breast side down and flip it breast side up about ½ hour before it should be done. Doesn’t look as pretty as breast side up, but boy is it good!