Zoom Lens has added a photo to the pool:
I'm a turkey roastin' son-of-a-gun! LOL HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Everyone!
Don't be afraid to roast a turkey! Here's a virtually fool-proof method! (First off, can you roast a chicken? Then you can roast a turkey...a turkey's just a big-ass chicken...treat it as such.)
I don't know if this is a "recipe" per se, but here's a way to cook a turkey and get the above results every single time.
First, make sure that you've removed all of the bags of giblets from your bird. Wash it well. Here comes the big secret...do this, and your roasting is basically a "set it and forget it" type procedure, whether it's chicken, turkey, a roast, etc: Pour about 1/8" of cooking oil into your roasting pan; place your bird in the pan, breast side up, and slide it around on the oil to coat its backside. Now pour about 1/2" of water into the roasting pan. The oil will keep the bird from sticking, and the water will keep the bird from drying out. Now you can riff on all kinds of rubs, seasonings, etc: You can stuff the bird's cavity with oranges and lemons if you desire; rub garlic on the turkey and insert whole cloves of garlic into the cavity; devise a rub or simply use salt and pepper or Lawry's seasoned salt. Thyme goes good on a turkey!
Now that your bird is properly prepared and seasoned here's the most important part: Follow the cooking directions that came on the bird's packaging!!! Your bird has a weight...round that up: If your bird weighs 15.68 pounds round that up to 16 pounds...then follow the packaging direction for cooking a bird of that weight. Typically oven temperatures will be between 300 and 320 degrees. You're cooking low and slow!
About 1 and a half to 2 hours into the roasting take a look at your turkey...don't be afraid to open the oven door and slide the rack out so that you can get a good look. When the skin is about as brown as you want it to be place a tent of aluminum foil over the bird and return it to the oven to finish cooking. I usually like to remove the tent after the bird is done and allow the skin to brown just a tad more.
How do you know when the bird is done? If you're an experienced cook it's pretty easy...if you're worried about it then simply use a meat thermometer...but that can sometimes be an inaccurate method...the thermometer might say that the bird's reached the proper internal temperature, but maybe you want the bird a little more done. If you cook much at all you can look at the bird and tell when it's about how you want it. If all else fails go by the package directions...just cook it for that amount of time, tenting as necessary to keep the skin from burning.
Don't ever, ever, ever rely on those stupid pop-up doneness indicators that some processors insert into their birds. I haven't seen one in awhile, but if yours has one...take it out! They're about as useless as tits on a boar hog!
When your bird's done remove it from the oven, take it carefully out of the roasting pan and place it onto a carving board / serving platter. Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes before you carve it.
Enjoy!
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via Recipes to Share Pool http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorpsiclist/11099558904/in/pool-34955636712@N01
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