Some people shy away from roasting a Thanksgiving turkey.
If I can do it, I know you can.
Cooking a turkey is like roasting a big chicken.
It’s easier than constructing a casserole or other putsy dishes that require lots of steps. With turkeys, you just rinse, season and cook.
Wash and season.
Rinse the turkey and take out anything from the cavity. (I’m not into gizzards, necks and stuff – but maybe you are.)
I’m seasoning the turkey today and will cook it tomorrow. I use garlic, salt, pepper (in that order!) Add parsley and oregano and other seasonings you like. I cut up a few large onions and place in the cavity of the turkey. Thanks to my mother-in-law, I had a sage and rosemary plant in the garden last summer. I froze some leaves, which I’m plastering around the bird.
Place in cooker
You can cook a turkey in a special bag, an electric roaster or a large foil pan – (disposable foil pans make cleanup easy.)
I use Grandma Pat’s large vintage roaster.
Roast it.
Turkeys cook well at approximately 20 minutes per pound; I cook mine at 325 degrees.
Once you have purchased your turkey, check the weight:
My approximate 14 pounder will need 4.5 hours or so to cook. No problem. While he’s roasting, I’ll get my other work done.
Mercifully, most turkeys have a little pop-up device that tells you when the meat is fully cooked.
This guy will sit all dressed up in the refrigerator until tomorrow morning.
© Lisa M. Luciano 😊
