Cooking a Turkey

Ok, With Thanksgiving around the corner and Christmas not far behind it's time to talk turkey. Often people are unsure about turkey for many reasons. I have been cooking  the Thanksgiving turkey on my own for over 25 years now and let me tell you, mine has never been dry, never been undercooked and never poisoned someone (salmonella). I stick to some pretty basic guidelines for cooking it. I almost always have stuffed my turkey. Stuffing tastes better than dressing. Yes the internal temperature can get hot enough to cook the egg in it as well as any absorbed turkey juices WITHOUT drying out the meat. The trick is to slather it in a mix of butter and mayo. Yes... mix soft butter with mayo and rub it all over that bird inside and out. Your stuffing should be moist to start with too and not dry. Make an aluminum foil tent over the bird, you should remove it for the last 1/2 hour of the estimated cooking time. Make sure your turkey is raised off the bottom of the pan! This is super important. Use a rack, use balls of aluminum foil, use something but don't let is stew in its own juices. You want those for gravy! 😉

Next question is always... How long do I cook it for? The guideline I have always used is 15-20 min per pound UNstuffed, and 25 min per pound Stuffed. A thermometer inserted into the thigh but not touching the bone should read 165°f or 75°c. Your oven temperature should be 375°f or 180°c. If like like to cook at a lower temp you will need to increase your cooking time!

Stuffing the bird.
I like to make my own stuffing and it has varied through the years but the basics are the same. I normally at least double the following recipe. If you have more than will fit in the bird the rest can be cooked in the oven while the turkey rests. Just pop it in a casserole dish and cover it with butter and pop it in.

4 C of bread, cubed (Combo of white and wheat, all white, all wheat, all good. You can use leftover           rolls as well. I cut it the night before and leave it in an open bowl to 'dry' a bit)
1/4 tsp Black Pepper (fresh cracked is best)
2 Tbsp Onion, minced
1/4 - 1/2 C Fat (butter, bacon grease, chicken fat, etc) melted or very soft
1 tsp Salt (reduce by at least half is using bacon fat!)
2 tsp Sage (I actually use closer to a Tbsp of Bell's poultry seasoning)
1 Tbsp Parsley
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Egg

I will also add a little at a time of chicken stock. You want the stuffing moist but not sopping.
A couple stalks of celery are a nice addition to the stuffing as well or a touch of celery salt.