HERB-RUBBED TURKEY
1 whole turkey (about 12 pounds), thawed if frozen
2 teaspoons rubbed dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 cups Simple Stuffing (below)
2 tablespoons butter, room
temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Rinse fresh or defrosted turkey, pat dry. Reserve neck and giblets; discard liver.
Place turkey in roasting rack set in a large roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine sage, thyme, marjoram, a 1/2-teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Working from both ends of the turkey, slide fingers under skin to separate it from the flesh (being careful not to tear skin). Rub herb mixture under skin.
Loosely fill neck cavity and large cavity with 4 cups stuffing. Using kitchen twine, tie legs together securely. Rub all over with butter and season generously with salt and pepper. Place neck, giblets and 3 cups water in bottom of roasting pan.
Cover turkey loosely with aluminum foil. Roast 1 hour, then baste with pan juices every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 125 degrees (2 to 3 hours total).
Remove foil; raise oven heat to 400 degrees. Roast, basting every 15 minutes, until thermometer inserted in thigh (avoiding bone) reaches 170 degrees, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. The temperature will rise about 10 degrees as turkey rests.
If turkey is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil; add more water if pan becomes dry.
Transfer turkey to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest at least 30 minutes before carving. Reserve pan with drippings for White-Wine Gravy (below).
To carve: Remove and slice breasts, remove wings. Pull each leg away from body, cutting through thigh joint; cut through leg joint to separate thigh from drumstick.
SIMPLE STUFFING
2 loaves Italian bread (about 10 ounces each), torn into bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons butter, room
temperature, plus more for
baking dish
