Don't Be Afraid of Your Holiday Turkey

First Christmas Dinner 1996

My first year married I decided to roast my first turkey, I consulted Martha Stewart and got some idea of how to do it. Over the years I have picked up different methods to make it tasty and juicy. If you want to tackle the turkey this year, you can do it, it's easy, but it's going to take some tender loving care. For the next 12 hours the turkey is your baby. I like to cook mine the old fashioned way - slow. Of course you can use a roasting bag and speed up the process and apply the seasoning techniques I am about to share. I just prefer the slow cooked method.

The Turkey

- 12 hours before you want to serve your turkey, preheat oven to 225, clean turkey off really well inside and out (I'm assuming your turkey is thawed and de-gizzarded).

- butter your roasting pan and lid

- combine salt, chopped fresh Sage, Thyme and Rosemary

- butter and salt the outside of the turkey

- get your hands under the skin on the top of the turkey and separate it from the meat, try not to rip it (time to take your rings off, roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty!)

-butter the turkey under the loosened skin

- put salt and chopped herbs under the skin

- wash your hands and arms like you're about to perform surgery!

- cut 4 or more X's in the meat of the turkey (2 on each side, evenly spread out)

- place garlic cloves in the cut slits and push them down in the hole

- put onion cut in half, 1-2 stalks of celery and 2 cloves of garlic in the turkey cavity

- cook at 225-250 for first 6 hours, then 325 last 6 hours with roasting pan lid on

- take lid off last half hour and turn up a little

- during cooking time baste frequently, every hour after the juices start running and every half hour to 15 minutes the last couple hours (pour juice coming out of turkey on turkey skin all over)

- especially baste the legs as they can cook quicker

- once cooked, let the turkey rest for a little while outside the oven with the cover on before you start carving, it helps the juices get back in, it will stay warm for a while

- I usually pour some turkey juice over the plated turkey also, you never know if the blessing-giver will be long winded and dry up the turkey

- the now pre-seasoned turkey juice is great to use instead of water for your boxed stuffing mix too

How to know it's done:

- if you were smart enough to get one with a pop up indicator that's a good way to know:)

- if you have a food thermometer, the packaging should tell you what temperature is cooked

- I look for clear running juice if I poke the poor turkey in the side, a nice brown color on the skin, and the legs falling off