Make the herb butter: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the butter, olive oil, minced garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.

Make the turkey: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the giblets and pat the turkey dry with a clean paper towel. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Generously season the inside of the turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey cavity with the onion, garlic cloves, lemon, sage sprigs, rosemary sprigs, and thyme sprigs. 

 Using your hands, start at the turkey’s neck and rear and gently separate the skin from the flesh, taking care not to tear the skin. Evenly rub the herb butter mixture beneath the skin, ensuring it’s distributed well for maximum flavor. Apply a thin layer on the outside of the turkey as well. Generously season the top of the turkey with additional salt and pepper to enhance overall taste. 

To keep the turkey compact during roasting, tie the legs together with twine and tuck the wing tips under the body. Place the prepared turkey in the preheated oven and roast for approximately 2½ to 3 hours, until a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. Once the turkey is done, carefully remove it from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for about 20 minutes. Carve and serve while still warm.

Preheat a smoker to 225°F. Remove the giblets from the turkey cavity. (Save for gravy if desired.) If there is an internal button thermometer, remove and discard. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.

Stir the barbecue dry rub into the melted butter. Use a meat syringe (available at many supermarkets around Thanksgiving, or from Amazon) to inject 2 oz. of the butter mixture into the front and 2 oz. into the back of both turkey breasts, and 2 oz. into each thigh. Rub the remaining 2 oz. between the skin and breast meat. Generously season the outside and inside of the turkey with more barbecue rub.

Place the turkey in the smoker. (Remove upper rack if necessary to fit.) Add fresh wood and smoke for 3 hours, maintaining a temperature of 225°F. After 3 hours, use a meat thermometer to start checking the temperature in the thigh every 30 minutes. When it hits 165°F and the thickest part of the breast reads at least 155°F, remove the turkey and place aluminum foil over the top. (Don’t wrap the entire bird.) Let rest at room temperature for one hour before carving.

Prep the fryer: Test the fill line by placing the still-packaged turkey into a 30-quart outdoor fryer pot and filling the pot with water until the bird is fully covered. Remove the turkey and note the level of water because that is the point to where peanut oil will be filled when you’re ready to fry. (Note: The fryer should be placed on a flat, non-flammable surface at least 20 feet from any structure.)

Brine the bird: Add the salt and molasses to 2 quarts of the water in a pot on the stovetop and heat until dissolved. Cut off heat and add the rest of the brine ingredients. Let mixture fully cool, then transfer turkey and brine to a large brine bag (available from Amazon). Add the rest of the water and seal the bag. Place into a cooler and cover with ice. Let sit for 24 to 48 hours, draining melted water and replacing ice as needed.

Butter the turkey: Remove the turkey from the brine, drain and dry the cavity with stuffed paper towels to remove excess moisture, and let it rest in the refrigerator for several hours until fully dry. Melt the butter and stir in your preferred seasoning. (Waldo uses a Cajun spice.) Fill a meat syringe with the melted butter mixture and inject all areas of the turkey with as much as possible. (It’s best to do this awhile before frying so that the butter can settle in.)

Season the turkey: Pat the bird again with paper towels, then rub on just enough seasoning to cover the bird, a nice light dusting. Place the turkey onto the fryer’s poultry rack, legs up.

Fry the bird: Fill fryer pot to the noted fill line with peanut oil. Turn on the burner and heat to 325°F on a digital thermometer. Cut off the burner and slowly lower the poultry rack and turkey into the oil, wearing an oven mitt in case the oil splatters. Turn the burner back on and bring the oil temperature back up to 325°F. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes per pound. To remove the bird from the fryer, wear an oven mitt and use a grab hook to pull up the rack slowly, letting the oil drain off the bird. Stick a meat thermometer into the center of a breast to make sure it has reached 165°F. Rest bird for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.