turkey
Okay kids, here's a basic turkey recipe. The size of the turkey determines the length of bake. I've included a guide to size and length of bake in the recipe. You don't really need the needle and thread, I just stuck that in there in case you want to try it out.
turkey
salt
foil
kitchen string or household thread
kitchen needle or household needle
1. Preheat the oven to 325.
2. If the turkey is frozen, it needs to be thoroughly thawed in time for the day it will be cooked. Thawing a turkey can take nearly a week, so it is important to be mindful of thaw time well before the day the turkey is to be cooked. The ideal method is to thaw the turkey on a platter on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. The turkey is thawed when the legs rotate easily and the flesh of the cavity is soft to the touch and not icy.
3. Wash the turkey thoroughly inside and out. Drain the turkey. Set aside the neck, gizzard, and heart. If you want salt the inside of the carcass.
4. If the turkey is going to be stuffed, stuff it now. Place the stuffing into both turkey cavities, the neck cavity and body cavity. Sometimes you can fit some in under the skin a bit.
5. You can skip this step if you want. We don't do it anymore, we used to. Now it is the stuffing bursting out look we do. Sew the turkey cavities shut. Use a regular large needle or kitchen needle, and kitchen string or household thread. Thread the needle. Insert the needle through the flap of skin on one side of the body cavity. Tie a knot to hold the string in place. Sow the bird shut or pretty shut.
6. Take the wings and tuck them under the back. Cover the turkey with foil, making sure for the foil not to touch the turkey. If you don't you may end up with scorched darkened skin by the end of the cook. You remove the foil a while before the end of the cook to crisp the skin.
7. Determine how long to bake the turkey based on weight.
4 to 8 lb turkey = 2 1/2 to 3 hours
8 to 12 lb turkey = 3 1/2 to 5 hours
12 to 16 lb turkey = 5 1/2 to 6 hours
8. Baste the turkey once with butter when it is placed in the oven. Baste 3 or 4 times through the cook with the drippings.
9. Check the turkey regularly to see if it is done. Overcooked turkey tastes mealy and dry. There are several ways to check for doneness. Usually I just stick a thermometer into the deepest parts of the bird and into the stuffing. When all areas temp at at least 165 then the bird is done.
For visual check, the bird is done when the legs rotate freely, when the juices run clear, and when on a slice check down to the bone the flesh is white. Make sure to check the deep areas as they take the longest to cook.
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