Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Rinse and dry turkey inside and out. Let it come to room temperature. Meanwhile, prepare sage butter.
Preheat oven to 400℉.
In a mixing bowl combine soft butter, sage, garlic, salt and pepper. Your hands are the best tool for mixing seasoning with butter.
Reserve ½ cup of sage butter and set aside.
Push up those sleeves this is the dirty part. With your hands separate the skin from turkey breast and legs. Again, with your hands smear sage butter under the skin, in the cavity and outside of the turkey. Tightly tie turkey legs together with butcher's twine.
Place carrots, celery, onions and chicken stock (or water) in roasting pan. Then insert roasting rack.
Place turkey breast side up on roasting rack, tuck wings under the turkey and place in oven for 20 minutes.
Melt reserved sage butter in small sauce pot. After 20 minutes baste turkey with all of the melted butter. Place back in oven for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes baste turkey again with pan drippings. Turn oven down to 300℉
Continue cooking until thickest part of the breast and innermost part of thigh reaches 165°F. Figure 13-15 minutes for every pound.
Once finished cooking remove from oven, tent foil over turkey and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.Chef Tip: If the turkey is getting dark tent foil over roasting pan to prevent from getting too dark and drying out.