The Best Roast Turkey You Could Ever Eat

While the cooking method is rather unconventional, this is the absolute best turkey you could ever want to eat. Adapted from a recipe by the late Edna Staebler. This is the same way my mother always cooked her turkey each year. We never ever did have a dry turkey. Word of truth.

• Ready In: 4 hrs 40 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1  whole turkey, size depending on how many people you want it to serve
• 1⁄4 lb butter, softened
•  salt and pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the turkey and dry it well. Sprinkle the cavity well with salt. Stuff as desired.
2. Rub the softened butter all over the outside of the bird, and sprinkled it lightly with salt.
3. Place the turkey on the rack of a large roaster, which has a heavy bottom, pouring about 2 inches of water in the bottom of the pan.
4. Lay the neck and giblets alongside, cover the pan tightly and put it on the large burner on top of the stove. Allow it to boil and then steam gently for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, approximately the same length of time that it would take to roast the same bird. Take care to see the pan does not cook dry.
5. When the drumsticks are loosened and the meat thermometer indicates the bird is about done, dribble a bot of soft butter over the skin, sprinkled it with a bit of white sugar and flour and bang it into a 350*F oven to brown while theaccompanying vegetables are cooking on top of the stove.
6. The drippings in the bottom of the roasting pan will be a rich dark brown. Skim off any fat and then use them to make a rich gravy.