Very Moist and Flavorful Roast Turkey

Ingredients

• 0.5 cups cold butter
• 1 whole turkey , 12 pound
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 Grannys Smith apples - cored , peeled, and cut into 8 wedges each
• 1 large onion , cut into 8 wedges
• 0.5 whole head garlic , separated into cloves and peeled
• 1 pound celery , cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather all ingredients. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2. 2

   Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces, quarter the pieces, and refrigerate butter until needed.

3. 3

   Use your fingers to loosen the skin over the turkey breast and thighs. Cut a hole in the turkey skin between tail and body (to affix legs); cut a hole on each side of the turkey beneath each wing (to affix wings). Rub the entire skin with vegetable oil.

4. 4

   Toss apple and onion wedges, garlic cloves, and celery in a large bowl until combined; sprinkle poultry seasoning over the apple mixture and toss again to coat.

5. 5

   Stuff the body and neck cavities with the apple mixture. Insert each wing tip into the hole under the wing to secure wings; insert both legs into hole near tail to secure legs.

6. 6

   Place turkey onto a rack and set in a roasting pan. Insert cold butter pieces under the loosened skin, distributing the butter as evenly as possible.

7. 7

   Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 3 1/2 hours. Check for doneness after 3 hours.

8. 8

   Remove roasting pan containing turkey from oven and cover with aluminum foil, lightly pressing the foil directly onto the bird. Let the turkey rest for 40 minutes before carving.