I can offer two things: a ridiculously easier way to get a moist turkey (warning: treyf); and my rewrite of Alton Brown's gravy recipe from the 2011 Thanksgiving episode. Turkey: after you rinse it, oil it, and spice it (I miss the box of Bell's Seasoning -- they don't have them in Los Angeles), put bacon on the top and each drumstick. Then put it in a covered roaster pot. Now it'll keep itself moist. Let stainless steel (or disposable aluminum) do the work. Gravy: I took obsessive notes from Alton Brown's show, which did not feature the same gravy recipe as the one on his web site. The essentials: I need to reformat the full gravy process from my locked LJ entry. I'll post it later today.
If you are making mashed potatoes from scratch, save the cloudy water from the boil and boil it down another hour or so then just use it. Make a roue with the neck and giblets and mirepoix;
Strain to save the giblets to cool down for mincing and the broth for gravy;
Shake up potato starch with broth, which will prevent the other roue from turning to lump.
So, you rinse it and then rub it with oil and spice. Then you cover it with raw bacon and seal the bacon on with aluminum foil? Does the turkey skin still get crispy?
There is no aluminum foil on the turkey: there is a lid on the roasting pan. I mentioned aluminum in case someone wants to use a disposable pan. The skin still gets crispy.