Maple Roasted Turkey with Sage, Peppered Bacon, and Crackling Cornbread Stuffing.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temp
4 tbsp dried sage
Salt
Pepper
1 (12 - 15 lb) fresh turkey
1 cup pure maple syrup
8 strips peppered bacon
Crackling Cornbread Stuffing
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and remove top rack.

Combine butter and sage in a mixing bowl, mash with fork or spoon until sage and butter are mixed well. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the neck and gizzard from inside the turkey and discard. Rinse turkey thoroughly inside and out with cold water, pat dry. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and legs, and slip pieces of the sage butter underneath; massaging it in as you go. Loosely fill neck and main cavities of turkey with stuffing. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Truss the turkey, place it on a rack in a large roasting pan, and put into the oven.

Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together maple syrup and hot water to thin the glaze out a bit. use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes. Cook for about 3 hours for a 12 lb turkey (15 - 20 minutes per pound). If the legs or breast brown too quickly, cover with foil. With one hour of cooking time left, lay the strips of bacon over the turkey breast, continue to cook and baste as scheduled. The turkey is done when an instant read thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving, so the juices can settle back into the meat.

Place the roasting pan over two burners set on medium-high heat. Scrape up brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. Whisk the flour into the drippings, stirring as it thickens to prevent lumps. Add milk slowly and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with turkey and stuffing.