Uncle Bill's Method for Cooking Turkey Recipe #46262
Scalding the turkey makes for a very nice moist turkey. I have been doing this method for over 25 years. Cooking time shown in the method is for a 16 pound stuffed turkey.
5½ hours | 30 min prep
SERVES 14 -18
- 1 (16 lb) whole turkey
- salt
- pepper
- water
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Turkey must be thoroughly thawed before preparing for the oven unless you are using a fresh turkey.
- Remove turkey parts from cavities and use as you desire.
- Wash cavities well with cold water.
- Boil a kettle of hot water (scalding hot.).
- Place turkey in a clean sink or a large roasting pan.
- Pour hot water over the entire turkey including in the cavities.
- The skin will shrink tightly to the turkey.
- "This will help hold the natural juices in the turkey while it is cooking.
- "Pat dry both inside and outside of turkey.
- Sprinkle cavities with salt and black pepper.
- Line inside of cavity with cheesecloth, then stuff with your favorite dressing,"stuff loosely".
- Tie legs and wings with a good meat wrapping twine and leave a lifting loop to remove the turkey from the pan when cooked.
- Place a wire rack in the bottom of roasting pan.
- Place the turkey on the wire rack, breast side up.
- Pour 2 cups of water or 2 cups of chicken broth into the pan.
- Pour about 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil over the exterior of the turkey.
- 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.
- Pinch foil tight to the sides of the pan.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place turkey on lower rack in oven and cook for 1 hour.
- Reduce heat to 325 F and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
- Now turn heat up to 350 F and cook for another 1/2 hour.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- Remove from oven, lift turkey out the roasting pan using the string loops.
- Cover with foil and let the turkey rest for about 1/2 hour before carving.
- Total time for cooking a 16 pound stuffed turkey is 5 hours.
- 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.
- For a crispy browner skin, you may wish to consider rubbing butter over the entire bird after pouring olive oil. This works very nicely.
- COOKING TIMES: Stuffed-- Unstuffed.
- *12-14lbs.
- 4- 4 1/2 hours-- 3 1/2-3 3/4 hours.
- *14-16lbs.
- 4 1/2- 5 hours-- 3 3/4-4 hours.
- *16-18lbs.
- 5- 5 1/2 hours-- 3 3/4-4 1/4 hours.
- *18-20lbs.
- 5 1/2- 6 hours-- 4 1/4-4 1/2 hours.
- *20-22lbs.
- 6- 6 1/4 hours-- 4 1/2-5 hours.
- *22-24lbs.
- 6 1/4-6 1/2 hours-- 5- 5 1/4 hours.
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5 stars