Preheat your oven to 325F.

Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and reserve for making gravy. (Check both the body and neck cavities to be sure you have removed everything.)

Place the onion, celery, 5 sage leaves, 2 thyme sprigs, and 1 rosemary sprig in the body cavity. (If using dried herbs, sprinkle half of the herbs in the body cavity.)

Chop the remaining 5 sage leaves and place them in a small bowl. Strip the remaining 2 thyme sprigs of their leaves, adding them to the sage. Strip the remaining rosemary sprig and chop the rosemary fine. Add the chopped rosemary to the other herbs along with the salt and pepper.

Starting at the bottom of the breast, gently separate the skin from the meat. Work your hands under the skin, until it is loosened from the breasts and thighs. (Take a look at our Guide to Roasting the Perfect Turkeyfor more detailed instructions.)

Distribute the herb mixture as evenly as possible under the skin. *

Roast the turkey at 325F, roughly 13-15 minutes for every pound of bird you are cooking (So a 12 lb bird will roast for 2 ½ - 3 hours.) (Double check the cooking time with the instructions that came with your bird to ensure proper cooking.)

Your bird it done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast or thigh (not near a bone) reads 165F and the leg meat is peeling away from the bone. Start checking your turkey for doneness after 2 hours of cooking and every half hour after that. If your turkey seems to be darkening too fast, loosely tent it with aluminum foil and continue roasting.

When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving.