Wash the turkey well inside and out, dry well with paper towels.
Stuff with dressing (stuffing – an average turkey will take about 1 ½ liters or 1 ½ quarts of stuffing).
Prepare the breasts for filling with butter (see: Everything you need to know about Turkey!)
Rub the outside of the bird with butter or a little oil, salt and pepper, sprinkle lightly with a little thyme if you like.
Cover the turkey with a thin layer of pork fat, or soak a piece of gauze (bandage), or a thin kitchen towel in butter and cover the top of the bird with it, be sure not to leave the tops of the legs exposed. Baste with additional butter as the turkey roasts to keep the breasts moist.
Truss the bird (tie it up tightly), being sure to secure the fat in place with the string, place on a rack in a roasting pan and set in the oven.
If the bird is unstuffed insert in its breast cavity a few sprigs of thyme, rosemary and 2 lemons cut in half.
Place bird in the hot oven and let roast for ½ hour then reduce the heat as recommended below depending on the size of the bird.
After the first 2 hours you can begin basting the bird every 20 minutes.
½ hour before the bird is ready remove all the pork fat from the bird and discard – this will help the skin brown, and baste it.
Roasting times are as follows:
Timing the cooking of a turkey for the layman is a real pain but the small investment of an electronic meat thermometer. If your oven has a built in thermometer that you can insert into the bird it will help a great deal.
The internal temp needs to reach 85°C or 180°F to 185°F when you insert the meat thermometer into the bird’s inner thigh muscle - between the thigh and the bird’s breast, being careful not to touch the thigh bone.
The internal temperature of the stuffing must reach 74°C or 165°F in order for it to be cooked well enough.
Estimating cooking times: Per kilo
Add 10 minutes per kilo to the times below if the turkey is stuffed.
40 to 50 minutes per kilo for birds up to 3 kilo
30 to 40 minutes per kilo for birds larger than 3 kilos.
26 to 30 minutes per kilo for birds over 7 kilos.
Estimating cooking times: Per pounds:
Add 10 minutes per kilo or 5 minutes per pound to the times below if the turkey is stuffed.
20 to 25 minutes for birds up to 3 kilos or 6 pounds.
15 to 20 minutes for per pound for birds larger than 6 pounds.
13 to 15 minutes per pound for birds over 16 pounds.
When the bird is done remove the pan from the oven and place on a kitchen counter that can take the heat of the pan.
Remove the bird to some extra wide and heavy aluminum foil and wrap the bird tightly in it.
Place on a large plate and cover with a towel. Let sit for ½ hour. This is important and you mustn’t skip this step.
Take the roasting pan and drain off all the fat leaving behind any liquid that the bird gave off during the roasting. Place the pans on the stove over a medium heat, pour in about a half a cup of white wine or stock and scrape up all the bits in the bottom of the pan (not anything that is burnt). When done, strain it through a fine sieve and it’s ready for making gravy.
Any liquid that the bird gives off while it was resting can also be added to the gray stock.
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