uncle bill s method for cooking turkey

🥘 Ingredients

• • whole turkey
• • salt
• • pepper
• • garlic powder
• • water
• • extra virgin olive oil

📝 Instructions

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
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 do not peel skin back to layer herbs under the skin
10. 10 this will destroy the process for a moist turkey
11. 11 "pat dry both inside and outside of turkey
12. 12 preheat oven to 400f
13. 13 sprinkle cavities with salt and black pepper and granulated garlic powder
14. 14 if you are stuffing the bird , then line inside of cavity with cheesecloth , then stuff with your favorite dressing , "stuff loosely" ,
15. 15 tie legs and wings with a good meat wrapping twine and leave a lifting loop to remove the turkey from the pan when cooked
16. 16 place a wire rack in the bottom of roasting pan
17. 17 place the turkey on the wire rack , breast side up
18. 18 pour 2 cups of water or 2 cups of chicken broth into the pan
19. 19 pour about 1 / 2 cup or more if required of extra virgin olive oil over the exterior of the turkey
20. 20 cover the turkey with heavy aluminum foil , but do not let the foil touch the turkey as it will stick to the turkey while cooking
21. 21 pinch foil tight to the sides of the pan
22. 22 place turkey on lower rack in oven and cook for 1 hour
23. 23 reduce heat to 325 f and cook for 2 1 / 2 hours
24. 24 now turn heat up to 350 f and cook for another 1 / 2 hour
25. 25 remove foil from turkey
26. 26 at this time test for doneness by inserting an instant read thermometer into the breast to see how the cooking temperature is
27. 27 we are cooking towards a reading of 175f
28. 28 baste , the turkey and continue cooking , uncovered , for an additional 1 hour at 350 f , basting about every 15 minutes so that the turkey turns a nice brown color
29. 29 when the time for cooking is finished , test for doneness
30. 30 insert the instant read thermometer into the thickest portion of the turkey breast , reading should be 175 f and no more
31. 31 remove from oven , lift turkey out the roasting pan using the string loops
32. 32 cover with foil and let the turkey rest for about 1 / 2 hour before carving
33. 33 total time for cooking a 16 pound stuffed turkey is 5 hours
34. 34 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
35. 35 for a crispy browner skin , you may wish to consider rubbing butter over the entire bird after pouring olive oil
36. 36 this works very nicely
37. 37 cooking times: left side -stuffed---- right side - unstuffed
38. 38 12-14lbs
39. 39 4 - 4 1 / 2 hours-- 3 1 / 2 - 3 3 / 4 hours
40. 40 14-16lbs
41. 41 4 1 / 2 - 5 hours-- 3 3 / 4 - 4 hours
42. 42 16-18lbs
43. 43 5- 5 1 / 2 hours-- 3 3 / 4 - 4 1 / 4 hours
44. 44 18-20lbs
45. 45 5 1 / 2 - 6 hours-- 4 1 / 4 - 4 1 / 2 hours
46. 46 20-22lbs
47. 47 6 - 6 1 / 4 hours-- 4 1 / 2 - 5 hours
48. 48 22-24lbs
49. 49 6 1 / 4- 6 1 / 2 hours-- 5 - 5 1 / 4 hours