There are several methods to cooking a turkey - so for those of you who are novices who are cooking for the first time, I hope the following won't be to terribly painful! Remember! Organization is the key!
The National Turkey Federation has great holiday tips regarding getting the perfect bird to cook for Thanksgiving. Give them a look!
There are several ways in which a turkey can be cooked. Depending on the method you choose, and how much time you want to invest, you can either be elaborate, or simple. In the end it's all good.
For those of you who want to cook your turkey traditionally, using either the Bag method , or the Tent Method, both of these methods are fairly simple, straight forward, and the results are yummy.
For those of you who are a little more daring, you can try the Grilled Method, or something I have wanted to try, and haven't yet is the, Deep Fry Method. This has always been an interesting way to cook a turkey for me, and one of these days I am going to try it!
A Simple Roasted Turkey - With a White Wine Gravy
12- to 14-pound turkey (reserving neck and giblets, but excluding liver, for making stock)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
8 sprigs mixed fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary, and/or marjoram
1 1/2 cups water
Gravy
1 large onion
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
4 cups Turkey Giblet Stock plus additional for thinning gravy
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 325° F.
Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a small skewer. Using small skewers secure wings to body. Transfer turkey to a rack set in a roasting pan and melt butter. Brush inside of turkey with some butter and season with salt and pepper. Put herb sprigs inside body cavity. Brush outside of turkey with remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Loosely tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. Roast turkey in middle of oven 1 hour.
Add water to pan and roast turkey, basting every 20 minutes, 2 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh registers 175° F. and juices run clear when thigh is pierced. Transfer turkey to a heated platter and reserve juices in pan. Remove skewers and discard string. Let turkey stand 30 minutes.
