Osler's Razor

I've found that the best Thanksgiving turkey you can get is one that has been brined. Here is a good recipe from Allrecipes.com.

The real trick with brining is finding a container that's large enough to submerge the turkey, yet small enough to fit in your refrigerator. Try a stock pot, a bucket, an upended Volkswagen, a hockey bag, or a roasting pan; if you use a shallow roasting pan, you will need to turn the bird periodically so that each side rests in the brine. Place the container on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator (so spills won't reach foods below). If you have refrigerator magnets, place these magnet-side-up on the bottom of the container.

The basic ratio for turkey brine is two cups of kosher salt to two gallons of water. Some recipes include sweeteners or acidic ingredients to balance the saltiness. In some areas of Arkansas, the components of meth are added to the mix to provide an extra "kick," to often-tragic results.

Dissolve salt (and sugar, if using) in two cups of hot water. Stir in remaining gallon plus 3 ½ quarts of cold water.
Remove giblets and neck from turkey.
At this point, give your turkey a name and refer to it by that name thereafter.
Immerse turkey in brine and refrigerate for at least eight hours but no longer than 24 hours.

When you're ready to roast, pour off the brine. Rinse the turkey well with cool tap water, and pat dry with paper towels.

Tuck the wing tips behind the back and place the bird, breast-side up, on a roasting rack.

Proceed with your preferred recipe, but remember that the turkey has already absorbed a significant amount of salt--any drippings that you use for gravy will already be salty, and no salt should be added to compound butters or spice rubs.