I would say if your husband is the one who obtained this wild turkey for you, and his parents are the ones that require impressing, let him cook it!

it's really tricky to cook a whole turkey and have all of the pieces/parts come out perfect. White and dark meat cook differently and given the density of a whole turkey the meat on the outside of the bird will dry out and the meat on the inside may not even be cooked (this is the case with all large whole bird cooking, not just wild turkey). So, if you're worried about it drying out, cut it up before you cook it (separate the breasts, thighs, legs, etc.) This way it will all cook more evenly with less chance of the white meat getting all dried out and you can remove pieces from the oven as they finish cooking.

The cookbook, The Joy of Cooking has wild turkey recipes in it. That's what we use for ours. Also, wild turkey is MUCh leaner than store-bought so you don't need to cook it as long or it will dry out.

oh, and save the bones and scraps for turkey stock :-)

Check hunting magazine websites, like Field & Stream! They had a wonderful backstrap recipe that I've used multiple times with great results; I bet they would be a good resource here.

I wouldn't roast a wild turkey whole. The flavor can be quite strong to the uninitiated. I'd do a braise or a turkey and dumplings type dish to keep the moisture in, and then roast a small regular turkey or a chicken to serve alongside.

We generally only eat the breast in my family--the legs/thighs/wings aren't the same consistency as a store bought turkey. Wild turkeys actually run around. :) Not that it's not edible or it's bad--it's just different. Those pieces, I've found, are great for stock with the carcass.

Also, you can put the breast in the crockpot with a package of knorr leek soup mix and a can of cranberry sauce and some water.

Not that I've ever cooked a wild turkey, but this sounds like a candidate for brining.

Brine the turkey for a few hours before roasting. It will retain a lot more moisture. We pasture raised chickens from a local farm so they are a lot leaner than store-bought chickens. There is a huge difference in texture when we brine these birds.

Cooks Illustrated uses 2 cups salt in 2 gallons of water for 4 hours. You can also add seasonings like garlic to the brine.

Haven't cooked a wild turkey but have been cooking free-range heritage breed birds for years. The key to cooking the heritage breed is to brine so I would think that would work for you too. I like Martha's brine: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/turkey-brine-from-living

Alton Brown also has a good brine method/recipe

I have tried Mark Bittmans brazing method and it works great. The only down side is that you don't have a whole, cooked bird to present - but the results more than make up for the eye-candy.

My dad's cousin shot a wild turkey at our farm when I was in high school. Man, those things have a zillion feathers. We were surprised how tasty it was, though - not gamey at all!

We definitely didn't brine it. I want to say that we roasted it in one of those Reynold's Wrap roasting bags.

BRINE IT. Seriously. Buy the brine mixture and bag from Williams Sonoma and follow the directions. It's the easiest way to start if its your first time. This is how I plan to cook my wild turkey this year. Then just follow a classic roast turkey recipe. Because you brined its almost impossible to completely ruin the bird. It stays nice and juicy even if you cook a bit too long.

Hank Shaw is the king of wild birds. He has one post on wild turkey

http://honest-food.net/2010/04/29/wild-turkey-time/

but a lot of posts on other game birds that could be relevant.

Thanks, all - I think we'll find a brine and not bother with the fancy presentation so we can get it cooked without drying. This really helps!