Uncle Bill's Method for Cooking Turkey

Ingredients

• 1 (16 lb)  whole turkey

• salt
• pepper
• water
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. 1

   Turkey must be thoroughly thawed before preparing for the oven unless you are using a fresh turkey.

2. 2

   Remove turkey parts from cavities and use as you desire.

3. 3

   Wash cavities well with cold water.

4. 4

   Boil a kettle of hot water (scalding hot.).

5. 5

   Place turkey in a clean sink or a large roasting pan.

6. 6

   Pour hot water over the entire turkey including in the cavities.

7. 7

   The skin will shrink tightly to the turkey.

8. 8

   "This will help hold the natural juices in the turkey while it is cooking.

9. 9

   "Pat dry both inside and outside of turkey.

10. 10

    Sprinkle cavities with salt and black pepper.

11. 11

    Line inside of cavity with cheesecloth, then stuff with your favorite dressing,"stuff loosely".

12. 12

    Tie legs and wings with a good meat wrapping twine and leave a lifting loop to remove the turkey from the pan when cooked.

13. 13

    Place a wire rack in the bottom of roasting pan.

14. 14

    Place the turkey on the wire rack, breast side up.

15. 15

    Pour 2 cups of water or 2 cups of chicken broth into the pan.

16. 16

    Pour about 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil over the exterior of the turkey.

17. 17

    Cover the top of pan with heavy aluminum foil, but do not let foil touch the turkey as it will stick to the turkey while cooking.

18. 18

    Pinch foil tight to the sides of the pan.

19. 19

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

20. 20

    Place turkey on lower rack in oven and cook for 1 hour.

21. 21

    Reduce heat to 325 F and cook for 2 1/2 hours.

22. 22

    Now turn heat up to 350 F and cook for another 1/2 hour.

23. 23

    Remove foil from turkey and baste, then continue cooking for an additional 1 hour at 350 F, basting about every 15 minutes so that the turkey turns a nice brown color.

24. 24

    When the time for cooking is finished, test for doneness. Insert a thermometer in the thickest portion of the turkey breast, reading should be between 175 F to 180 F but no more than 180°F When inserted into the

25. 25

    the thickest portion of the leg, readings should be the same. Or, cut a small slice from the breast portion and make sure that there i no pink showing. Or, you may also use a fork and insert it into the thickest portion of the leg and if the juices run clear, then the turkey is done.

26. 26

    Remove from oven, lift turkey out the roasting pan using the string loops.

27. 27

    Cover with foil and let the turkey rest for about 1/2 hour before carving.

28. 28

    Total time for cooking a 16 pound stuffed turkey is 5 hours.

29. 29

    There is no need to baste the turkey until the last 1 hour of cooking, this saves you a lot of time as you do not have to remove the foil tent during the first 4 hours.

30. 30

    For a crispy browner skin, you may wish to consider rubbing butter over the entire bird after pouring olive oil. This works very nicely.

31. 31

    COOKING TIMES: Stuffed-- Unstuffed.

32. 32

    *12-14lbs.

33. 33

    4- 4 1/2 hours-- 3 1/2-3 3/4 hours.

34. 34

    *14-16lbs.

35. 35

    4 1/2- 5 hours-- 3 3/4-4 hours.

36. 36

    *16-18lbs.

37. 37

    5- 5 1/2 hours-- 3 3/4-4 1/4 hours.

38. 38

    *18-20lbs.

39. 39

    5 1/2- 6 hours-- 4 1/4-4 1/2 hours.

40. 40

    *20-22lbs.

41. 41

    6- 6 1/4 hours-- 4 1/2-5 hours.

42. 42

    *22-24lbs.

43. 43

    6 1/4-6 1/2 hours-- 5- 5 1/4 hours.