Roast Turkey help

[zoeysmom331]

 I've always used the Oven Bags to roast my turkey.. that is until my lovely brother in law brought up the possibility of BHT in the plastic and now I've vowed to never use them again. I don't have one of those roasters with a lid, just an open baking-pan style one. How do I cook it so its still moist and juicy? This is the first year I'm cooking for my FIL and SMIL, so I would really like it to come out perfect. I'm not stuffing it either if that helps. TIA!!!

I guess I should also mention that my turkey is 21 pounds.. if it makes a difference.

[anetrnlov]

This is how I ALWAYS make my turkey and I have never had a dry one...

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (12 - 14 pound) whole turkey
• 8 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4 cups warm chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons poultry seasoning
  
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 2 tablespoons Old Bay (season salt also works)
  
• 1 yellow onion
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse and wash turkey. Discard the giblets, or add to pan if preferred.
2. Place turkey in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Separate the skin over the breast to make little pockets. Put approx. 3 tablespoons of the butter on both sides between the skin and breast meat. This makes for very juicy breast meat.
3. Cut yellow onion in half and place it in the cavity of the turkey.
   
4. Pour chicken broth over the turkey. 
   
5. Combine poultry seasoning with remaining butter the rub over turkeys skin then sprinkle with Old Bay or Season Salt.
6. Tent with foil, and bake in the preheated oven approximately 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). For the last 30 minutes or so, remove the foil so the turkey will brown nicely.

[jjessers]

 Just use foil and seal it around the edges of the pan to keep the heat and moisture in.

I usually don't even cover mine. I like nice crisp skin .

[Mom2LiamNMolly]

CHEESECLOTH!!!! That is the way my great-grandma, grandma, and mom all did it, it's how I do it, and it's even how Martha Stewart does it, lol... basically, you soak a quadruple layer of cheesecloth in butter, margarine, or like a combo if butter and white wine and you cover the turkey with it. You baste the cheesecloth instead of the turkey and it stays moist and tender and delicious. Here is a link to Turkey 101 on Martha Stewarts site to read up on it.

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/roast-turkey-and-gravy-101