12-16 lb turkey, fresh or fully thawed
¾ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or 2 tsp dried rosemary
1½ tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried sage leaves
2 Tbsp Hungarian paprika
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 large onions, peeled and quartered or bread stuffing, warmed slightly just before stuffing bird

1. Preheat oven to 325°F on pure covection or convection bake*. Place one rack in the number two position of your oven.

2. In a small bowl, blend fresh or dried herbs, paprika, salt and pepper.

3. Remove neck and gizzards from the turkey and cut off pointed wing tips at the joint. Rinse turkey with cold water and dry with paper towels. Set into a large bowl with the legs sticking up. With the turkey in the bowl, rub the inside and outside of the cavity with the olive oil and season generously with herb mixture. Insert quartered onions into the turkey cavity and insert two quarters into the neck cavity. Alternately, stuff both cavities with herbed bread stuffing. Be sure to warm the stuffing just before use and do not over stuff the bird as the stuffing expands during cooking. Truss (tie) the turkey with oven safe linen twine.

4. Spray roasting rack with non-stick cooking spray and place the turkey, breast side down, on a rack tall enough to expose most of the turkey above the sides of the roasting pan. Place turkey into preheated oven and fill the bottom of roasting pan with water or stock to approximately one and a half inches up the side of the pan. Reserve more liquid to add to the pan as it evaporates.

5. Roast upside down for one hour then remove from oven and turn turkey breast side up and baste. Cook the turkey on convection at 325°F for eight to ten minutes per pound or until the internal temperature of the deepest part of the thigh reaches 175°F adding liquid to the roasting pan as needed. Breast meat should reach 152°F with thermometer placed deep into the breast meat. Tent the breast meat with a piece of foil if you feel that it is cooking too quickly. Remove turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for at least twenty five minutes to one hour, tenting lightly with foil. During the resting time, breast meat will reach 160°F and thigh meat will reach 185°F. Juices will flow back into the bird and carving will be much easier.

6. Strain pan juices for an excellent gravy base.

* For a turkey, the convection "roast" setting may dry out the breast meat. Choose regular convection or convection bake instead.

Recipe can be doubled with an additional turkey without adding cooking time.

For turkeys less than 16 pounds, allow one pound per person. A 12 pound turkey will serve 12 people. For generous left overs, estimate 1½ pounds per person.