one medium-sized prime turkey
butter or olive oil
bread stuffing as per our recipe
cotton butcher twine, aluminum foil, toothpicks
Place turkey, breast down on a cutting board and carefully cut down one side of the back-bone.
Do a similar cut on the other side to completely remove the backbone from the bird.
With the carcass butter-flied open, you can now remove any minor bones, excess fat etc., before lightly salting the interior of the bird. There is no need to attempt to remove the breast bones.
Starting at the neck of the turkey, insert toothpicks at 1" (2.5 cm) intervals through each half of the body to join the back of the bird together again.
Using a long length of butcher twine, lace the toothpicks together until you reach the legs.
Tie the ends of the legs together and truss the bird to preserve its shape during cooking. The stuffing is now pushed into the cavity, to restore the original shape of the turkey and extra stuffing is cradled between the legs as shown in the picture.
Cooking: Preheat oven to 325°F or 160°C.
Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and rub skin with oil or melted butter.
Use aluminum foil to create a 'tent' that seals the roasting pan but does not in any way touch the turkey. (you may have to join additional widths of foil together to do this, by folding).
Bake for at least two hours before removing the 'tent'. (You may have to shield the exposed stuffing with a piece of foil to prevent over-cooking)
Continue to roast until internal temperature of meat reaches 190°F or 87°C. The centre of the stuffing should reach at least 170 °F or 76 °C to be safe.
Allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Deglaze pan and use liquid to make gravy with stock.
Approximate Roasting Times for Stuffed Turkey |
|
Turkey Weight |
Hours |
6 to 8 pounds (3 - 3½ kg) |
3 to 3-1/2 hours |
8 to 12 pounds (3½ - 5½ kg) |
3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours |
12 to 16 pounds (5½ - 7¼ kg) |
4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours |
16 to 20 pounds (7¼ - 9 kg) |
5-1/2 to 6 hours |
20 to 24 pounds (9 kg - 11 kg) |
6 to 6-1/2 hours |
Approximate Roasting Times for Unstuffed Turkey |
|
6 to 8 pounds (3 - 3½ kg) |
2-1/2 to 3 hours |
8 to 12 pounds (3½ - 5½ kg) |
3 to 4 hours |
12 to 16 pounds (5½ - 7¼ kg) |
4 to 5 hours |
16 to 20 pounds (7¼ - 9 kg) |
5 to 5-1/2 hours |
20 to 24 pounds (9 kg - 11 kg) |
5-1/2 to 6 hours |
Turkey Stock:
Remove giblets and neck from the turkey and put in large stock pot with plenty of water, 2 chopped medium onions, 2 chopped celery stalks, 2 diced carrots, 3 cloves garlic and any other desired vegetables.
Add 3 tsp (15 ml) poultry seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
This is simmered on low heat for two to three hours, skimming occasionally and waste parts from the de-boning process can be added to the stock.
The stock is finally drained and used as the base for your gravy, together with the pan de-glazing and any other seasonings and thickening agent you desire.