1. Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with herbed, salted and peppered butter. What herbs you use, is up to you, but I’m a fan of dill and rosemary. Now, make sure the put some of that butter where you might feel embarrassed to: under the skin of the bird as far down as you can reach. Tie the legs together with some twine.

2. Pour a cup of orange juice in the pan, add to it a sliced apple, quartered lemon, sliced onion, and chopped shallots.

3. Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15-30 minutes before carving.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings