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Roast
Turkey |
There is a lot
of information on how to cook a whole turkey. I have found that
the smaller size is usually more satisfactoryless likely
to dry out and more tender. The size would be from 12 to 18 pounds.
If you have a lot of people to cook for, use up to about a 24 pound
bird. The timing varies a lot because of oven temperatures, how
cold the bird is and whether or not you stuff it. The guidelines
are always printed on the outside packaging. 4 - 5 hours for a 12
- 16 pound turkey at 325º. I usually use a fresh (not frozen) turkey
because thawing a large turkey in the refrigerator takes days and
it really is a drag to discover that the bird is still a solid chunk
of ice in the middle when you are ready to roast it.
Remove innards from turkey (check front and back). Rinse, dry, stuff
and truss turkey before roasting. Truss the legs together and tie
string around the whole thing to hold the wings close to the body,
or you can tuck the wings down and back under the body. Also, stitch
the breast flap closed if you stuff the breast. I use a tool with
a sharp end and an eye, like a needle to pull the string through.
Use cotton string. Salt the outside and place on a rack in a large
roasting pan. Roast at 325º or whatever the package recommends.
Start a stock, using the innards, the other half of the parsley
that gets used in the stuffing, similar dried herbs, an onion and
2 - 3 stalks celery. This gets used to baste the turkey so make
about 3 cups of stock. Just let it simmer for about an hour and
then start using it to baste.
Stuffing:
I always make a lot, whether it’s a small or large turkey,
because I put whatever doesn’t fit in the turkey into a casserole
and cook it separately.
1 large package Pepperidge Farm seasoned stuffing
1 small Package Pepperidge Farm Cornbread stuffing
half a bunch of celery, chopped
4 - 6 onions peeled and chopped
half a bunch of fresh parsley
about a teaspoon each dried sage, thyme and oregano
approximately a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
a half pound of butter
2 apples, cored and cut in half
1 - 2 cans of canned chicken broth (I’ve tried making this
with turkey stock and didn’t like it.)
Don’t salt the stuffing if you are using concentrated chicken
broth because it will be salty enough with the butter and broth.
Sauté celery and onions in the butter until limp, but not
brown. Stir in the seasoning. Add to a large bowl containing the
stuffing. Then start adding the chicken broth. It may require some
water if it seems too dry.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Half a cut apple goes in the end of
the cavity after adding the stuffing. You can stuff the breast and
the cavity the same way. They always tell you not to pack it in
too tightly or....? what. I’ve never had an explosion. Might
be interesting. If you make a casserole with stuffing, just put
the halved apples skin side up, cover heat for about a half hour
at 350º.
After the first 45 minutes or so that the turkey is roasting start
basting. This helps keep the skin tender and from over cooking.
When the breast and wing tips start to look brown, cover loosely
with foil to retard browning and remove toward the last. Let turkey
stand about a half hour before carving. This should allow enough
time to make gravy.
-Kate
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