How I roasted my first Thanksgiving Turkey

We have a family tradition of having roasted chicken and fries every weekend for a late lunch/ early dinner. So I am familiar with roasting when it comes to smaller birds. However, I always cook my whole chicken in a mixture of spices, herbs and vegetables which give it its aroma and yummy taste before I put it in the oven for a quick roast just to give it the golden brown sheen and crunchy skin. Since a 17 lbs turkey was nowhere close to fitting into any of pans, cooking it first in an aromatic sauce was not an option. So I was worried about how to make the blunt turkey meat delicious.

 So the day before roasting the turkey I seasoned it with a decent amount of salt, black pepper and ginger powder. I let it sit in the fridge for 16-18 hours so that the seasoning could be absorbed into the skin for taste and the salt would help make it tender as well. Then, I stuffed with bird with herbs (parsley, coriander, thyme) and laid the bird on a bed of chopped onions, celery and carrots. Lastly, I brushed the skin with butter and to the oven it went. I cooked the turkey for 4 to 4 1/2  hours at 325- 350F uncovered and then covered it and cooked for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I let it sit another 45 minutes to 1 hour before digging in.

It was the best turkey meat we had ever had. It was seasoned to the bone, very tasty and tender with a crunchy delicious skin on the outside.