Instructions

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan and add salt, poultry seasoning and fennel seeds. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Allow to cool completely.
2. Remove giblets and neck from turkey and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry. Loosen and lift skin from turkey, without removing it.
3. Reserving 1 tablespoon of rub, spread the remaining butter mixture evenly under skin.
4. Drizzle oil all over the outside of the turkey and coat with the reserved tablespoon of herb butter.
5. Remove rack from your roasting pan and in the bottom add onion, carrots, celery, bays leave and stock. Replace rack.
6. Tuck wings under the bird and tie the ends of the legs together with kitchen twine.
7. Place turkey onto roasting rack and allow to sit at room temperature at least 1 hour or place into the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.*
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
9. Bake turkey in preheated oven until a meat thermometer placed into the thickest part, the thigh, registers 165 degrees. Rotate pan after 1 hour for even browning.
10. Remove turkey from oven and allow to stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes before carving.
11. *If placing into refrigerator, allow turkey to come to room temperature before cooking, at least 30 minutes.