Prepare Do-Ahead White Wine and Sage Gravy ; cover and refrigerate or freeze, following recipe directions, until ready to serve turkey.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove giblets and neck from inside turkey; set aside. Cut neck into several large pieces. Discard liver or save for another use. Rinse turkey with cold running water; pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in large roasting pan (17" by 11 1/2"). Scatter neck and giblets in pan around turkey.
In large bowl, toss together garlic, oranges, onion, sage, poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.
Put as much onion mixture as possible in body cavity, and any remaining mixture in neck cavity. Sprinkle turkey with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.
Cover turkey with a loose tent of foil; roast 2 hours. Remove foil and roast turkey 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, basting with pan drippings if you like.
Turkey is done when temperature on meat thermometer, inserted into thickest part of thigh next to body (not touching bone), reaches 175 to 180 degrees F and breast temperature reaches 165 degrees F. (Internal temperature of turkey will rise 5 to 10 degrees F upon standing.)
When turkey is done, lift from roasting pan and tilt slightly to allow juices to run into pan. Place turkey on large platter; cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
Meanwhile, complete Do-Ahead White Wine and Sage Gravy : Strain turkey juices from roasting pan into 8-cup liquid measuring cup. Discard neck and giblets. Let drippings stand 1 minute to allow fat to separate from meat juices. Skim fat from juices and discard. Place roasting pan over 2 burners and cook 2 to 4 minutes on medium-high to brown bits on bottom of pan, stirring. Carefully add water to roasting pan and heat to boiling, scraping to loosen brown bits; add to strained juices in measuring cup, then stir into Do-Ahead Gravy. Heat through.
For 24 servings: Use 8 cloves garlic, 3 oranges, 1 1/2 large onions, 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves, 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, and a 22- to 26-pound turkey. Roast 2 hours with foil, 3 hours without, for a total of about 5 hours. Add 1 cup water to roasting pan after removing turkey and meat juices to loosen brown bits.
Nutritional information is based on one serving of turkey without skin or gravy.
Tips & Techniques To help lift and tilt the hot turkey in step 7, slip on a pair of clean, dry rubber gloves — the same kind you use for washing dishes. They’ll insulate your hands while you transfer the bird from the pan to the platter, plus the textured palms will ensure a good grip.
