Cooking a turkey

1 turkey
1 turkey cooking bag
1 cookie sheet or roasting pan

There are so many opinions about how to cook a turkey. Some say start at 425 others say start at 275 and some say baste and other say that dries out the turkey, whatever, either way it will turnout cooked. The thighs take the longest to cook so make sure their temperature is 170°-175°

1/2/19 I decided not to brine this time.
1 onion
5 celery leaves chopped
sage, thyme, oregano, onion powder, 5 garlic cloves (1 t powder), salt and pepper
5 bay leaves
oil
I put the turkey in a turkey bag, then separated the skin from the meat on the breast top and sprinkled salt and oil. Then added all the above additions around the outside of the turkey, then added more salt and oil to the outside of the turkey.

275 for 3 hours
Then take out the turkey and Smear the butter mixture all over the skin, in crevices, etc so that it's totally covered. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, increase the oven temperature to 350, and return the turkey to the oven, basting every 30 minutes for an hour to 1 and 1/2 hours.

Brine-
1c salt
2 oranges
1/2c any type of vinegar (red wine, white or apple cider)
3 bay leaves
1 chopped onion
1/2c chopped garlic

Fill a large pot with water, dissolve the salt in boiling water.  Add all ingredients to pot and boil 5 min.
Put turkey and the brine in a bucket, let sit at least 3 hours, preferably overnite.  I put the bucket with the turkey inside, outside in the backyard and covered with a tower of snow and left overnite. (I think next time put turkey in fridge or bucket ice, just not outside)

In the morning- drain the liquid and reserve the onion, garlic, bay leaves to roast in the oven with the turkey. Put turkey in the turkey bag, then sprinkle the onion, garlic, bay leaves around the turkey.

To roast the turkey, put chunks of butter on turkey. Sprinkle with sage, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Roasted on 200 degrees for 4 hours, then 350 for 1/2hr -1 hour.  Open the turkey bag the last 1/2 hour to crisp the skin.

At about hour 4 of cooking the turkey, I wanted to make the gravy b4 the turkey was finished cooking.  So I opened the turkey bag and used a measuring cup to get the drippings (turkey juice).  But, some of the turkey drippings, dripped on to the bottom of the oven and started a fire in the oven.  I had to turn off the oven, pull out the turkey, take off the bottom oven shelf, and put new aluminum foil under the heating element, where the fire started.  Then resumed cooking the turkey. Phew.....

I put the drippings in a pan to cook. The drippings were surprisingly bland, so I added garlic powder, rosemary, sage, oregano, salt and pepper. Then to a separate bowl whisked cold water and flour and slowly added to the pan to thicken the  gravy.

the Brine seems to really moisten the turkey, not add much flavor.  Everyone loved the turkey especially my nephew- Porter, who is a picky eater, So at least he had something desirable to eat.

Goes well with- Cranberry Sauce, Mashed potatoes