How to Oven Roast the Perfect Turkey

Before you purchase your turkey you will need to decide what size turkey you require. This will all depend on how many people you intend on feeding. A good guide to use is 1 to 2 pounds of turkey per person.

Most turkeys are purchased frozen; it's just the way they are shipped. There are so many turkeys purchased during the holiday season that they couldn't possibly slaughter them all in a matter of weeks, so they are frozen directly after slaughter and packaged for freshness.

If you purchase a frozen turkey, allow plenty of time to thaw your turkey in order for it to roast properly. You can't stuff and cook a turkey if it is frozen. Read the package for thawing time. This usually takes about 5 or 6 days depending on the size and weight of your turkey. Don't leave the turkey out; be sure to thaw your turkey in a pan in the refrigerator. The pan prevents any thawing liquids from making a mess and the refrigerator keeps it fresh and cool. If you discover that it's the day before you need to roast your turkey and Its still on the frozen side you can leave it out the night before. If you have pets don't leave the turkey out on a table or counter where they can get to it, try putting the bird in a pan in the oven during thawing to keep it safe from meddling animals who think everything that smells like food is for them. No one wants to wake up to a mangled and gnawed on turkey the day they want to cook it. Besides, you won't have time to thaw another turkey in time for your guest's arrival. Be sure when bird is thawing in the oven you don't turn it on.

When your turkey is completely thawed and you are ready to prepare it for cooking empty out your sink and place the turkey in the sink. Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut open the shrink wrap package your turkey is encompassed by. Check the package for cooking instructions as to not cut them to ribbons and become unable to read. Slice the package from end to end to reveal the bird; this will assist in the easy removal of the turkey.

Rinse off the wrapper, it will be sticky and filled with defrosting moisture and blood. By rinsing the package it prevents the bodily fluids from the turkey carcass from stinking up your garbage and attracting unwanted bandits in the night. Cut out the cooking instructions before discarding the package, so you have a reference to follow while cooking. You can't always count on your memory when you are preparing a large meal; there are just too many things to remember. Now that your turkey is naked and free from its packaging you can get down to business.

First, find and remove the neck, You'll know it's the neck because its long and slightly u shaped, then locate the package of giblets (liver, heart and gizzard) these are usually housed in a sealed waxed paper package, you will know them when you see them, their organs. There are only two places to find them, either in the body cavity or inside the neck area. These items can be cooked and added to stuffing and gravy, if you don't want to eat them you can cook them, cut them into small pieces and feed them to your pets, this way everyone in the family gets to enjoy a nice oven roasted turkey. If you don't want to be bothered with these items simply discard them. Placing them in a plastic bag and tying the bag will prevent the foul smell of rotting turkey parts from stinking up your garbage and it also assists in masking the scent, so your garbage does not get raided in the night

If you enjoy freaking out your squeamish children or grossing out your friends and family, by all means display these wondrous items and see what kinds of disgusted comments your loved ones make when they see them. Showing people things they normally don't see and know nothing about usually makes for some interesting conversation. Get your video cameras running for some funny family memories.

If you are planning to stuff your turkey, be sure to stuff it only before you actually roast the bird. Salmonella is a real illness and stuffing your turkey and having that stuffing hang out inside the bird is just the formula for disaster, so be sure to stuff the bird only when you are ready to roast it.

Rinse your turkey with cold water, be sure to rinse out the body cavity and the neck cavity. Inspect the entire body of the turkey to be sure there are no left over feathers. Sometimes the turkey will have them, nobody wants to eat prickly feathers with their meal. If you find some, pluck them out and discard them.

Once your turkey is clean and ready to be cooked you can stuff the bird. Make your favorite stuffing, use instant stuffing packages (check package instructions to determine the amount of packages you will need for your turkey) or follow my delicious sausage stuffing recipe.

If you are using a disposable foil pan to cook your turkey in, be sure to place it on a flat baking sheet. Stuffed turkeys are very heavy and the flimsy foil roasting pan may buckle under the stress of the weight. You could be burned by hot liquid so be very careful when you are transporting your turkey. This can also cause your turkey to pop out and onto the floor, so be aware of your surroundings.

If you have a meat rack that you can use to cradle your turkey I recommend that you use it. Even if it is too small for the bird it will assist in lifting the turkey up from the bottom of the pan and the entire bird will become crisp and delicious.

Always begin by stuffing the neck of the turkey. They leave a lot of extra skin at the opening of this section just for stuffing. Turn the turkey on its back, loosely stuff your stuffing mixture in the neck cavity, hold flap of skin taught to allow you to fill to the max. Pull skin taunt against the turkey covering the opening filled with stuffing and fasten the skin to the turkey.

There are many different ways to fasten the turkey skin to the turkey by using toothpicks, sterilized nails, wooden scores or anything pointy that will not melt while roasting in the oven. Pinch the flap skin to the turkey with two fingers, push the implement between the skins and continue this step until the stuffed neck area is completely fastened.

When you are finished stuffing and fastening your turkey's neck cavity flip the bird over and fasten the wings to the bird so they aren't poking out all loose and resting on the roasting rack. Stretch the wings toward the top of the breast and using the implement stitch it as described above. Stuffing the neck area first is recommended because if you don't the stuffing will fall out of the body cavity when you flip it over.

Most turkeys come equip with a plastic leg holder, this will assist in keeping your stuffing held inside the turkey's body cavity. If your turkey doesn't have one of these items you can use roasting twine to tie the turkey's legs together after you have stuffed it. If you use the plastic holder provided, simply snap the leg bones into them.

Lightly stuff the body cavity with the remainder of prepared stuffing. Remember not to stuff too tightly, the reason for this is to allow the heat from roasting to penetrate deep into the center of your turkey. Too tight and the heat will not circulate properly. If you find that you have left over stuffing that will not fit in the turkey, put it in a loaf pan and bake it in the oven or fry it in a pan with a little butter. You can never have enough stuffing so don't waste it, cook it up.

When your stuffing is all tucked into your turkey its time to prepare the skin of the bird using olive oil or any cooking oil you prefer to use. Generously rub the entire turkey with oil, making sure to get every inch of the bird saturated. This will add to the crispiness of your bird's outer skin and also help it to turn a nice golden brown upon completion of roasting.

Your turkey should be placed in the roasting pan with the baking cradle or not, put enough water in the bottom of the pan to keep the pan from burning during cooking. Water in the pan will mix with the drippings from roasting. This liquid will become your gravy if you would like to have homemade gravy with your meal, or you can add it to a store bought can of gravy to give it a unique taste.

Cover your turkey with heavy duty aluminum foil, this is more resilient and accommodates constant usage while basting. Be sure to tent your foil as to not be directly resting upon the turkey itself. This will prevent the skin from sticking to the foil and assists in heat circulation for masterful roasting results.

Follow the suggested roasting time and temperature for you turkey by following the instructions that you previously removed from the package and bake.

About half of the way through cooking time gently slide out the oven rack and open your turkey's tent. Be careful not to get a steam burn when you remove the foil. Try lifting it with a pair of tongs or a long handled fork. Pull the foil from the pan in one corner and when the steam clears you can gently pull off the foil. Check the liquid in the bottom of the roasting pan, make sure there is enough liquid in the pan to prevent burning. Add some water if the liquid level is too low. Remember, this liquid will be your gravy so make sure you have enough in the bottom of the pan.

Baste the turkey using the liquid juices from the bottom of the pan, using a turkey baste or a ladle and recover, return to the oven and bake till it is almost finished. Be sure there is enough liquid in the pan to prevent burning. If you prefer not to use water you can substitute the water for a packaged broth.

About 30 or 40 minutes before it is finished cooking, remove the foil tent completely from the turkey be sure to prevent steam burns as before and cook for the remainder of the cooking time without the tent foils cover, basting about every 10 minutes or so. Let the turkey continue to cook until it is finished.

There are a few ways to know when your turkey has reached the proper amount of cooking time. According to the USDA, a stuffed turkey is edible safe when a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Not everyone has a meat thermometer, I'm sure the pilgrims didn't have a meat thermometer so how do you know when the turkey is done?

By eye, an experienced cook can know when a turkey is finished cooking just by looking at it. First look at the skin, is it nice and tight, is it brown, does it seem to be pulling away from the bones and fasteners. If you answered yes that is a good sign that your turkey is done roasting.

By touch, does your turkey meat give resistance in removal when your fork is plunged into it, not sure try piercing the thickest part of the breast to release juice secretions, if the juice is pink or red, your turkey needs to cook longer, if the juice runs clear or slightly oily looking it is ready to be removed from the oven.

Some turkeys come equipped with a pop up timer, it looks like a little plastic plunger. When the turkey meat temperature is above 165 degrees the mechanism in the timer responds and forces the little button to pop out. This is a sure fire way to know your turkey is roasted to perfection. Don't forget to discard this item before serving your meal. Be aware that anything small enough to fit through a paper towel roll can be swallowed, so keep away from small children and pets who may be tempted to put it in their mouths.

When your turkey is finished roasting carefully remove it from the oven be careful not to splash any of the hot liquid from the pan onto yourself it is very hot and can burn you badly. Loosely recover the turkey with the used foil tent and let sit for at least 15 to 20 minutes. This allows the juices to be contained within the turkey. If you cut into the turkey too quickly the juices will run directly from the bird and your turkey will be dry and flavorless.

Everyone cooks their own way, by following the above mentioned technique and adding it to your own experience and taste you are sure to enjoy a delicious perfect roasted turkey.

If you would like to know more about turkeys, visit the National Turkey Federations web site at www.eatturkey.com, you can find a large amount of useful information.