Roasted Turkey with Sage

As a reformed vegetarian, I always question my skills in cooking meat. Of course, I have made hundreds of recipes with meat since my "coming out" but I still worry I am not doing it right. Something I am still scared to death while insanely intrigued about is cooking an entire bird. From what I can tell and have been told, it is actually the easiest thing in the world. My mission is to cook this bird in its entirety; using every square inch for meat and stock.

1 12-pound turkey, giblets removed
1 bunch sage
6 onion, unpeeled and quartered
4 carrots, unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Prepare and roast the turkey.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Stuff the turkey cavity with the sage and 4 onion quarters. Scatter the carrots and the remaining onions in a large roasting pan.

Place the turkey on top of the onions and carrots. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wings underneath the body. Brush the turkey with the butter and season with 1 tsp salt and pepper.

Roast the turkey for 45 minutes. Add the broth to the roasting pan. Continue to roast the turkey, covering it with foil if it browns too quickly, until a thermometer inserted into a thigh registers 165 degrees, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Remove the turkey from the oven.
Carefully tilt the turkey to empty the juices from the cavity into the pan. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. Discard the onions and carrots. Reserve the pan drippings for gravy.