Stuffing or Celery leaves, Onions, Lemon to season turkey cavity, if desired
Butter
Instructions
Defrosting Frozen Turkey
Keep the turkey in its original wrapper. A 20-
pound bird takes 3 to 4 days to defrost in the
refrigerator, about 12 hours in a sinkful of
water.
Warning- Do not stuff your turkey in advance,
since the stuffing could start to sour and spoil
inside the bird.
Servings- Count on 1/2 pound of turkey per
serving, or 1 pound per person, with leftovers.
Roast at 325 degrees F. Cooking time-
For unstuffed birds- 12 to 14 pounds, about 4
hours; 16 to 20 pounds, about 5 hours; 20 to 26
pounds, about 6 hours.
Add 20 to 30 minutes in all for stuffed birds.
Internal temperatures- 175 degrees F at the
thickest portion of the leg; 165 degrees F in the
breast; 160 degrees F in the center of the
stuffing. Stuffing amounts are 1/2 to 3/4 cup per
pound of turkey, making roughly 2 to 2 1/2 quarts
of stuffing for a 14 to 16 pound bird.
Internal temperatures- 175 degrees F at the
thickest portion of the leg; 165 degrees F in the
breast; 160 degrees F in the center of the
stuffing. Stuffing amounts are 1/2 to 3/4 cup per
pound of turkey, making roughly 2 to 2 1/2 quarts
of stuffing for a 14 to 16 pound bird.
Flavoring in the cavity- use salt and pepper, and
a thinly sliced lemon, a small onion and a handful
of celery leaves, Or use stuffing.
Using the whole turkey….Make turkey stock with the
neck and scraps, see Turkey Stock recipe below.
Save the liver, heart, and gizzard for giblet
gravy, see Giblet Gravy recipe below.
To prepare the turkey for roasting, cut out of the
wishbone, optional, and cut off the wing nubbins.
Skewer the neck skin to the backbone, and skewer
or sew the cavity closed or close it with foil if
using flavoring in the cavity. Not necessary if
stuffing the bird.
Rub the turkey with olive oil and season with salt
and pepper or your favorite turkey spice blend..
Roast breast up on an oiled rack, basting rapidly
every 20 minutes or so.
Start testing rapidly for doneness 20 minutes
before the estimated roasting time and note that a
sure indication of approaching doneness is that
turkey juices begin to exude into
the pan.
Turkey Stock
Simmer the turkey neck and scraps in enough water
to cover them, skim off scum that rises to the
surface for several minutes, then salt very
lightly. Cover loosely and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2
hours, adding water if necessary. You may also
wish to include chopped onions, carrots, and
celery. Strain and degrease. When stock is cool,
cover and either refrigerate for several days or
freeze.
Giblet Gravy
First make a simple sauce, as follows. Steam the
turkey bones, breaking the bones will add much
more flavor, optional. Remove bones, brown sauce
from bones with a little oil or butter in a heavy
pan with a chopped carrot, onion and celery stalk.
Sprinkle on a tablespoon of flour and brown,
stirring for a minute or two.
Add a chopped plum tomato, spices, turkey stock,
and water to cover. Simmer slowly, loosely covered
for two hours, adding more liquid as needed.
Peel the gizzard and add it to simmer with the
rest of the ingredients, removing it after about
an hour, or when it is tender. Mince it.
Sauté the heart and liver briefly in butter, mince
them, and add to the finished sauce along with the
minced gizzard, simmering for several minutes.
Strain, degrease and gently boil down to
concentrate flavor.
Originally Submitted
10/8/2013
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