Roast turkey/Recipes

Roast turkey is the preparation of a fresh or frozen turkey by placing the turkey in a hot oven. Frozen turkeys are normally defrosted before roasting. Fresh turkeys are removed from the refrigerator and then roasted.

Defrosting

Defrost the turkey in the refrigerator. All about 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. Be sure to place a container underneath the turkey to prevent turkey juices dripping onto nearby foods.

Fresh turkey

Purchase a fresh turkey two days before you plan to roast it. Store the fresh turkey in the refrigerator until you are ready to roast it.

Roasting

Heat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 °C) (Gas Mark 3). Remove the turkey from the refrigerator. Insert a rack into the roasting pan. Add the turkey. Roast the turkey until an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (80 °C) is reached. Insert a meat thermometer into the turkey to ensure this temperature is reached.

Roasting chart

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends turkeys should not be stuffed during roasting for food safety reasons. Stuffing should be baked in a separate casserole dish. Some people refer to stuffing as dressing when it is backed separately in a casserole dish.

Unstuffed Turkey

• 8 to 12 pounds (3.6 to 5.5 kg), 2 3/4 to 3 hours
• 12 to 14 pounds, 3 to 3 3/4 hours
• 14 to 18 pounds, 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
• 18 to 20 pounds, 4 1/4 to 41/2 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds, 4 1/2 to 5 hours

Stuffed Turkey

• 8 to 12 pounds 3 to 3 1/2 hours
• 12 to 14 pounds, 3 1/2 to 4 hours
• 14 to 18 pounds, 4 to 4 1/4 hours
• 18 to 20 pounds, 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds, 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

Foil Roasted Turkey

Defrost the turkey, if needed, before roasting the turkey. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Remove the giblets from the turkey. Rinse the turkey and pat dry. Brush the turkey with vegetable oil. Tear off a piece of aluminum foil that is 2 1/2 times longer than the turkey. Place the turkey onto the foil. Fold over the ends of the aluminum foil to cover the ends loosely. Do not seal. Place the turkey into a roasting pan that is at least 2-inches deep. Insert meat thermometer through the foil and into the turkey thigh. Make sure the meat thermometer does not touch the bone. Roast the turkey for the following times:

• 8 to 12 pounds 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 hours
• 12 to 16 pounds 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours
• 16 to 20 pounds 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds 3 1/4 to 3 3/4 hours
• 24 to 28 pounds 3 3/4 to 5 hours
• 28 to 32 pounds 5 to 5 1/2 hours

Julia Child's Roasted Turkey

• Turkey
• Vegetable Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Celery
• Onions
• Lemon (to season turkey cavity, if desired)
• Butter
• Port or madeira

Defrosting Frozen Turkey

Do not remove the turkey from it's original wrapper. A 20-pound turkey will take around 3 to 4 days to defrost in the refrigerator. Child says you can defrost a turkey in a sinkful of water. It should take about 12 hours to defrost the turkey. Child also says not to stuff the turkey in advance.

Allow about 1/2 pound turkey per serving or 1 pound per person, if you want leftovers.

Servings: Count on 1/2 pound of turkey per serving, or 1 pound per person, with leftovers. Roast at 325 F (or see below for high- temperature roasting).

Cooking Times

Unstuffed Turkeys

• 12 to 14 pounds, about 4 hours
• 16 to 20 pounds, about 5 hours
• 20 to 26 pounds, about 6 hours

For stuffed birds add 20 to 30 minutes extra for cooking time.

The turkey is done when the temperature measures 175 degrees F at the thickest portion of the leg. The stuffing temperature should be 165 degrees F. Figure about 1/2 to 3/4 a cup of stuffing for each pound of turkey.

She recommends flavoring the cavity with salt, pepper, a thin slice of lemon, a small onion and a handful of celery leaves.

Child says to cut out of the wishbone and cut off the wing nubbins. She also recommends skewering the neck to the backbone, and then skewering or sewing the cavity closed, or close it with foil. Rub the turkey with salt and vegetable oil.

Place the turkey breast side up on an oiled rack and then baste every 20 minutes. Start checking the turkey temperature about 20 minutes before the charted roasting time. The turkey will start to release juices into the pan as an indicator that the turkey is thoroughly cooked.

High-Temperature Roasting

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Roast the turkey 15 to 20 minutes or until the juices begin to burn. Reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Add 1/2 cup each chopped carrots and onions along with 2 cups water to the roasting pan. Add water as needed to prevent the mixture from burning and smoking.

In Child's high-temperature roasting system, you start the roasting at 500 F, and in 15 to 20 minutes, when the juices begin to burn, reduce the heat to 450 F. Using this method a 14 pound turkey should roast in about 2 hours rather than the usual 4 hours. The turkey may not turn out as tender using this method though.

To prepare Julia Child's turkey stock and giblet gravy you can find the recipe at the ABC News Good Morning America web site. The recipe provided above is copyright ABC.

Historic Fannie Merritt Farmer 1918 Roast Turkey Recipe

Dress, clean, stuff, and truss a ten-pound turkey . Place on its side on rack in a dripping-pan, rub entire surface with salt, and spread breast, legs, and wings with one-third cup butter, rubbed until creamy and mixed with one-fourth cup flour. Dredge bottom of pan with flour. Place in a hot oven, and when flour on turkey begins to brown, reduce heat, and baste every fifteen minutes until turkey is cooked, which will require about three hours. For basting use one-half cup butter melted in one-half cup boiling water and after this is used baste with fat in pan. Pour water in pan during the cooking as needed to prevent flour from burning. During cooking turn turkey frequently, that it may brown evenly. If turkey is browning too fast, cover with buttered paper to prevent burning. Remove string and skewers before serving. Garnish with parsley, or celery tips, or curled celery and rings and discs of carrots strung on fine wire. For stuffing, use double the quantities given in recipes under Roast Chicken. If stuffing is to be served cold, add one beaten egg. Turkey is often roasted with Chestnut Stuffing, Oyster Stuffing, or Turkey Stuffing (Swedish Style).

Storage

Remove the cooked turkey meat from the carcass. Promptly refrigerate the cooked turkey meat within two hours of serving. Turkey leftovers should be eaten within 3 to 4 days of preparation. Turkey gravy should be eaten within 2 days of serving. Heat the leftover turkey gravy to 165 degrees F (75 °C) for safe serving.

References

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