Anonymous wrote:Don't trust the pop-up timer. Those things are notoriously sloppy. An instant-read meat thermometer costs less than $10 at the grocery store or hardware store.

In a small bowl, mix the following until blended smooth:
1/4 to 1/2 stick softened butter
2 go 4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced fine (do this yourself; don't use the jarred stuff)
3 sprigs each of sage, thyme, and rosemary--leaves stripped off the stems, then chopped
Salt and pepper to taste (if you're not sure, try 1/2 tsp. each)

If you have small hands and are confident, starting around the big cavity, gently loosen the skin away from the meat. GENTLY spread the butter/herb/salt/pepper mix over the turkey (under the skin) with your hands, trying to reach as many places as you can, trying NOT TO TEAR THE SKIN. Do the same thing starting from the other cavity, reaching as much of the bird as you can. Spread what's left on the outside of the skin.

If your hands are clumsy or you don't have confidence in this, then just rub it all over the outside of the skin.

Make sure you got the giblet bag out of the cavity. Throw some fruit into the cavity--a lemon cut into quarters, or an orange, or an apple and an onion (whichever you use, cut into quarters). You can also throw a few sprigs of herbs in there--thyme or rosemary or both. Whatever's in there should be loose, not packed.

Put the turkey on a roasting rack in your roasting pan. If you don't have a rack, cut up a bunch of carrots, onions, and celery, in very big coarse pieces. Put the turkey on top of those--they'll hold it off the bottom of the pan, at least until they cook to soft. The idea is to keep the turkey up out of its drippings to the extent that you can.

You can read various cookbooks or internet recipes for a roasting time/temperature/method. There are plenty of recipes out there to follow, anywhere from 325 to 500. I prefer roasting at 375 or 400. If you go with a lower temp (325 is standard), you're protected from burning it, but it's harder to gauge the time it will be done. If you go higher than 400, you risk drying/burning.

I'd advise starting with the bird breast-down and flipping it over halfway through. (To do this, you need silicone gloves, or two big sets of tongs and some confidence.) If you don't want to try to do that, no sweat, just make sure you baste frequently to avoid drying the breast. You can buy a turkey baster that has an injection needle if you want, that allows injecting the drippings back into the bird instead of just basting over the top where they run right back off.

Keep an eye on it. If the skin is crispy and brown before it's done, put a big foil tent over it to keep it from browning further while it's still cooking. It's done when the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh (without hitting the bone) hits 160. Let it rest on a cutting board half an hour before carving.

Anonymous wrote:I thought it should be 165 at the thigh, not 185- anyone?