Not everyone is fortunate enough to zip over the meadow and through the woods and have Thanksgiving dinner waiting for us, hot and tasty, when we arrive. Many of us will have to roll up our sleeves and get cooking instead. And that is fine. It gives the cook the chance to “give” to relatives and friends – not only the gift of a wonderful meal, but also the gift of a treasured memory. I always tell my husband that I cook for him to show him how much I love him, so tell your loved ones this Thanksgiving how much you care for them by preparing a feast. I’m sure we are all more thankful than ever before that we can be together around the table.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. God Bless! Now, on to the fun stuff: the star of the show, the turkey!!
First of all, if you don’t have your frozen turkey already thawing, you are in serious trouble! You might consider an emergency purchase of a fresh one or another meat, because it generally takes three or four days to thaw a big bird. Thaw turkey in refrigerator. Once thawed, remove the turkey legs from leg clamps or the band of skin crossing the tail. Take the giblets and neck from cavities. Preheat your oven to 325° F. Just prior to roasting, spoon some of your stuffing (if preferred) into the neck cavity of the turkey. Pull the neck skin over stuffing; closed with a skewer. Now spoon stuffing into the main body cavity, remembering to not pack stuffing, or it will not become hot even though the turkey is completely cooked. Spoon any remaining stuffing into a casserole dish -- cover and chill. If you prefer not to stuff your bird, a great way to keep your turkey meat moist is to place an apple and a small onion in the main cavity of the bird. Now tie the bird’s legs together with string. Twist wing tips under and back so they will lie flat – think of it as almost crossing the bird’s fingers or wing in this case.
Now, place the bird breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Place a meat thermometer into the center of an inside thigh muscle so the bulb doesn't touch bone, unless you have a turkey with the pop-up thermometer built in. Cover your turkey loosely with foil, leaving space to breathe between the bird and foil. Only secure the foil over drumsticks and the neck. Roast until the thermometer registers 180° F and juices run clear -- in laymans terms, that is around four hours. If you have a covered casserole of stuffing, add it during the last 25 to 30 minutes of roasting and remove the foil the last 30 to 45 minutes in order for the bird to brown. Take your turkey from the oven and cover loosely with foil once again. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes prior to carving and serving. Store leftover turkey and stuffing in separate containers as soon as possible after serving.
