Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey, rinse it, and pat it dry. Rub the turkey with your favorite cooking fat and season with 1 teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
18 lb turkey, 3 tablespoon cooking fat, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Stuff the cavity with 2 garlic cloves, 1 onion (halved), and 2 celery stalks (halved). Place the turkey in a roasting pan and arrange the remaining garlic, onions, and celery around it.
2 onions, 3 celery stalks, 10 garlic cloves
Roast the turkey for 30 minutes at 400°F, then reduce the temperature to 350°F for the remaining cooking time.
Baste the turkey with the rendered fat in the pan every 45 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. Once the inner thigh reaches 165°F, remove the turkey from the oven.
As the turkey cooks at 350°F, cut each pear in half and remove the core. Rub them with softened cooking fat and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Remove the turkey from the oven, place the bacon slices crosswise on top, and use toothpicks to secure the bacon if needed. Add the pear halves around the turkey, and place it back in the oven for 45 minutes.
6 ripe pears, 1 lb bacon
Allow the turkey to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Serve with the roasted bacon and pears on the side.