How to
Roast a Turkey
An easy to follow recipe on how to roast a turkey to perfection.....crisp and golden brown on the outside yet moist and succulent inside. The perfect main dish for a family Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, Festive Christmas Dinner or Family Easter Luncheon.
SIMPLICITY - that's the secret ingredient when it comes to roasting a turkey.......perfectly, and safely! No more last minute panic, or worse still a dry, overcooked and tasteless turkey that no-one enjoys! Here you will find some great tips on how to roast a turkey .......without the stress!
Gourmet food........the EASY way!
People often cook turkey for many more hours than is needed, or worse still, overnight! All because they are unsure how long to cook it for and just want to be "safe" In actual fact, a 10 to 12lb (4.5kg - 5.4kg) needs only 3 to 3½ hours, and if you want to play it "safe", then 4 hours maximum. TIP
How to roast a turkey - safely!
For every additional 2lb (900g) over the above turkey weight, add a further 30 minutes cooking time. For example, a 12 to 14 lb turkey will need 3½ to 4 hours (or 4½ hours if you really want to play it "safe"!).
Traditional Roast Turkey
with Pork and Herbed Apple Stuffing,
and Giblet Brown Gravy
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6-8
10 - 12lb (4.5 - 5.4kg) oven ready fresh turkey
6 oz (50g) butter (softened at room temperature)
1 medium onion, quartered
4oz rindless, streaky bacon rashers
salt & freshly milled black pepper
TIP
For information on HOW TO DEFROST A TURKEY SAFELY, CLICK HERE Read on for how to roast a turkey without leaving everything to the last minute.......
The Day Before
- Prepare the
Giblet Gravy,
allow to cool and then refrigerate.
- Prepare the
Pork and Herbed Apple Stuffing
and refrigerate.
- Rinse the turkey under cold water, inside and out. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
- To stuff the turkey, loosen the skin between the neck end and the breast with your hands, and then gently push about 1/2 of the softened butter between the skin and the flesh.
- Loosely fill the neck end with stuffing and then tuck the flap of skin back under the bird and secure with a small skewer or cocktail stick. Pat it with your hands to give it a good shape.
- Then put ½ of the remaining stuffing into the main cavity of the turkey. Divide the rest into 6 balls which can later be roasted with the potatoes.
- Finally, cling wrap the turkey, cover the stuffing balls, and refrigerate them both.
The Day of the Party
TIP
How to roast a turkey - safely!
It's very important to take the stuffed turkey out of the refrigerator one to two hours before cooking. Place the covered bird somewhere cool (such as in the dining room, or larder if you have one). This allows the heat to penetrate the bird much more efficiently and safely during roasting.
Take the butter out of the refrigerator at the same time so it's easier to rub over the turkey. METHOD
.......now let's continue with how to roast a turkey
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F, gas mark 6.
- Sit the turkey in a large roasting tin and smooth a good layer of the softened butter all over the bird.
- Lay the rashers of streaky bacon evenly across the breast. Season well with salt & freshly milled black pepper.
- Once the oven is up to temperature, place the turkey in the oven and cook at this high heat for 30 minutes.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and baste it well with the fat in the roasting tin. Then cover the turkey completely with foil and reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F, gas mark 4.
- Put the bird back into the oven. It should now be basted every 20 minutes.
- 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, remove the turkey from the oven. Take off the foil and remove the bacon rashers (these can be used for garnish when serving the bird). Put the quartered onion in the roasting pan (this will help flavor and color the gravy), baste again and return to the oven for final browning.
- During this last 30 minutes, continue to baste the turkey until it turns a rich, deep golden color. To test that the turkey is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the leg with a skewer. The juices that are released should run clear. If there is any sign of pinkness, return the bird to the oven for 20 minutes and test again.
- Lift the turkey carefully from the tin and tilt slightly to allow the juices to run into the roasting pan. Transfer the bird to a warm serving dish. Cover loosely with foil and leave to stand for 30 to 60 minutes to allow the flesh to "relax" before carving.
TIP
how to roast a turkey - safely!
To be absolutely certain the turkey is cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. It should reach 180F. If it hasn't, return to the oven and test again 20 minutes later.
TO SERVE
While the turkey is resting, prepare the
Brown Giblet Gravy
using the juices in the roasting pan.
Finish
roasting the potatoes
and the stuffing balls
while you cook your
chosen vegetables.
Serve the turkey on the largest platter possible garnished with the roasted stuffing balls, crispy streaky bacon (taken off the breast), roasted chipolata (baby) sausages and a big sprig of fresh watercress. Serve with a side dish of Cranberry & Orange Relish and homemade Bread Sauce.
ENJOY!
There you have it, how to roast a turkey ........effortlessly!
And if this turkey recipe isn't quite what you are looking for, you may want to take a look at my recipe for
Brined, Spiced & Super-moist Roast Turkey.
To go from How to Roast a Turkey to
A Video on How to Roast a Turkey
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