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Perfect Roast Turkey

How to Roast the perfect Turkey

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Remove the bird from the fridge about 2 hours before cooking so it is at room temperature for stuffing. To stuff your bird use your hands to push some of the stuffing into the neck end. Put the remainder in the body cavity.
  • Check the weight of the turkey and calculate the cooking time. Cooking times for a turkey depends on its size and can also vary depending on your oven! As a guide, if the bird is under 4kgs (8lb 8oz) allow 20 minutes per kg plus 70 minutes at the end. If it is over 4kg (8lb 8oz) allow 20 minutes per kg plus 90 minutes at the end. If you are stuffing your turkey, weigh it again after stuffing and increase the cooking time accordingly.
  • Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F) gas mark 5.
  • Mix some fresh chopped herbs with butter and apply this to the turkey breast – this will help keep it moist.
  • Cover your bird loosely in foil and place in a roasting tin. When your oven is up to temperature put the turkey onto the bottom shelf.
  • Regularly baste the turkey to retain moisture and remove the foil for the last 40 minutes of cooking so the skin turns a golden brown.
  • To check that your turkey is fully cooked, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer. If the juices run golden and clear it is ready - if they run pink continue cooking.
  • Once fully cooked, allow excess juice to run out of the turkey then carefully transfer to a warm dish. Allow to rest for around 30 minutes before carving