A Simple Roast Turkey Food

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.
• Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
• Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.
• Slice the turkey and serve.

SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Remove the giblets from inside the turkey. Pat the turkey dry and place it on a roasting rack, breast-side up. Cross the legs and tie them together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wings under the bird and transfer the roasting rack to its pan. Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Cover the whole bird and pan with aluminum foil, tucking it all the way under the pan. Roast for the first stage for 10 minutes per pound, 3 to 3 1/2 hours for an 18- to 20-pound turkey.
• Meanwhile, place the butter, rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon zest and orange zest in a bowl. Mix together until combined.
• After the first stage of cooking, remove the turkey from the oven and remove the foil. The turkey will still be pale at this stage. Smear the butter mixture all over the skin and into the crevices of the turkey so that it is totally covered. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Return the turkey to the oven and roast, basting every 30 minutes, until the internal temperature on the thermometer reads 165 degrees F, an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Put the turkey on a cutting board, cover loosely with fresh aluminum foil and rest for 25 to 30 minutes until you're ready to carve, saving the pan juices for gravy.

BASIC ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove the turkey neck and giblets.
• Pat the turkey dry and put breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan; season inside and out with salt and pepper (skip the salt for a brined or kosher turkey). Fill the turkey cavity with chopped onions, carrots, apples and/or fresh herbs, then let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Brush the turkey with melted butter, tent with foil and roast 2 hours for a 10-to-12-pound bird; add 15 minutes for each additional pound.
• Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F; uncover the turkey, brush with more butter and roast 1 more hour, or until the thigh meat reaches 165 degrees F.

CLASSIC ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Let the turkey sit at room temperature, 30 minutes. Position an oven rack in the lowest position (remove the other racks); preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and set aside for the gravy. Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels and rub inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the onion, carrot, celery, and sage and thyme sprigs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Put the turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan and tuck the wings under the body.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat; whisk in the paprika and chopped sage and thyme. Let the paprika butter cool slightly, then brush all over the turkey. Transfer to the oven and roast 1 hour. Meanwhile, make Classic Gravy.
• After the turkey has roasted 1 hour, baste with the drippings. Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 2 more hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before carving; reserve the drippings for the gravy.
• Prepare the stock: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the turkey neck and giblets; cook, turning, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaves; stir to coat. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth, reduce the heat to low and simmer about 1 hour. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup; reserve the saucepan. You should have 7 cups stock-if you're short, add more broth.
• Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in the reserved saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the 7 cups stock; bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Set aside until the turkey is done.
• Pour the turkey pan drippings into a fat separator and let stand until the fat rises to the top. Discard the fat (or drizzle on your stuffing). Whisk the defatted drippings into the gravy; season with salt and pepper. Reheat before serving.

SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• (Note: If your turkey is fresh, proceed to Step 2.) Defrost turkey: Place frozen turkey, still wrapped in plastic, into a cooler or stock pot large enough to hold it. Fill with enough cool water to completely cover the turkey. Keep turkey submerged in water for 30 minutes per pound, changing the water every hour.
• When turkey is defrosted, unwrap, then remove neck and giblets; save them for gravy or stock, or discard. Choose a roasting pan large enough to hold the turkey with 2 inches of space between turkey and pan, all the way around. Place turkey on the rack in the pan and pat completely dry with paper towels, including inside the cavity. Let stand for 1 hour at room temperature before roasting. This ensures even cooking. Position oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F, preferably convection.
• Stuff turkey, optional: Place your hand at the center of a sheet of cheesecloth, then push it into the cavity of the turkey to create a cheesecloth "bag." This will make the stuffing easier to remove after the turkey is cooked. Fill cavity halfway with your favorite uncooked stuffing (suggested recipe: "Crunchy Bread Dressing with Bacon & Leeks" in Williams Sonoma's Thanksgiving Sides School class). Tie cheesecloth closed with twine; trim and discard excess cheesecloth.
• Prepare turkey for roasting: With the turkey lying breast side up, twist and tuck the wing tips underneath the turkey. Cross the legs, then tie together with kitchen twine. Generously spread softened butter all over to coat the entire bird. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Begin roasting the turkey, basting every 30 minutes (see Step 5 for instructions). The total roasting time will be 15 minutes per pound, unstuffed. If stuffed, add another 30 minutes cooking time for a bird under 16 pounds, and 30-60 minutes longer if it's over 16 pounds.
• How to baste: Remove turkey from the oven, opening and closing the door as quickly as possible to maintain the temperature. Baste turkey with juices that have accumulated in the pan, then place back into the oven. (Tip: For easier basting, tilt the pan to allow juices to collect on one side.) Begin taking the turkey's temperature about 1 hour before you expect it to be finished roasting. Turkey is done when a digital thermometer registers 165 degrees F at the thickest part of the breast (without touching the bone) and 175 degrees F at the thigh. Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. If the breasts begin to cook too quickly, cover them loosely with aluminum foil.
• Finish roasting: If turkey is stuffed, cut the twine from the legs, pull the cheesecloth bag from the cavity, and transfer it to a bowl. Check the temperature of the stuffing: it should register 165 degrees F at the center. If it's not done, remove cheesecloth and microwave the stuffing for 60 seconds at a time until it reaches 165 degrees F.
• Rest turkey: Transfer the turkey to a carving board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes before carving. (See the "How to Carve a Turkey" lesson for carving instructions.)

ROAST TURKEY (EASY STEPS FOR NEW COOKS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325f and put a rack in a roasting pan.
• N.B. If you use a foil roasting pan have it seated firmly on a solid tray do not attempt to carry it on it's own without bottom support.
• Remove neck& giblets from the cavity of the bird Rinse turkey thoroughly inside and out patting it dry with a paper towel.
• Sprinkle salt& pepper inside and over the skin of the bird Stuff the bird with dressing.
• N.B. Do not do this until just before you are going to cook the bird.
• Stuff the neck cavity as well as the body cavity.
• Secure the neck flap with a skewer or stitch it Tie drumsticks together and close the body cavity securely.
• In a small bowl combine butter,rosemary, sage& thyme, mix well Gently loosen the skin covering the breast, be careful not to tear it Spread herb mixture under the skin and over it Place turkey on rack in the roasting pan Roast the turkey basting every 20 minutes or so If the bird begins to brown too soon place a piece of tin foil loosely over it.
• The bird is cooked when a meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh Apprx 5 1/2 hours Remove turkey from roaster and let stand for 25 minutes Remove ALL the stuffing from the bird, Carve and Serve (Left over turkey and stuffing can be frozen as long as you freeze them separately) Make gravy in the roasting pan while the turkey is resting (a separate recipe will be posted or try one that is already posted).

A SIMPLY PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
• Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
• Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.