How to Roast a Turkey

•    Preheat the oven to 325°
•    If you are using a frozen turkey, make sure that it’s thawed before cooking.
•    If possible, get a free-range bird.  It’s more flavorful, and yields more meat than other turkeys.
•    Rub the turkey with olive oil or melted butter.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
•    If you are going to stuff the bird, add it just before cooking, and NOT the night before.  Do not pack it tightly into the bird’s cavity.
•    If you are not going to stuff the bird, place 2-3 raw peeled onions into the cavity.
•    While the turkey is roasting, baste it every 30 minutes with the pan drippings.  If there are no drippings, add 1 cup of white wine, or chicken(or turkey) stock to the roasting pan, and use this for basting.
•    The turkey should roast for 12-15 minutes per pound.  It will be
cooked when a thermometer, placed into the inner thigh, reads 175°.


A few notes:
•    Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes after you remove it from the oven, before you slice it.
•    If you have a very large turkey, a general rule is that no turkey needs more than 5 hours to roast
•    If you like stuffing, but don’t want it in the bird, or if you have more than will fit in the bird, bake it alongside the bird for 45-60 minutes, or until it’s cooked through.