How to cook your turkey
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Ensure you have pre-heated your oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4 or 350ºF. If you are going to stuff your turkey remember not to pack it too tightly as the stuffing will expand during cooking and to secure the neck flap under the bird’s back with a small skewer. We prefer to cook our stuffing separately.
Lay the turkey on its back in the centre of your roasting tin. Rub it generously all over with butter, making sure the thigh bones are particularly well covered, then season the bird all over with salt and pepper and cover the turkey with foil.
Place the roasting tin on a low shelf in the oven and cook for the calculated length of time. Turkey requires long, slow cooking to ensure that the meat is thoroughly cooked. Cooking time should be calculated according to the weight of the prepared turkey, this is particularly important if the body cavity of the turkey has been stuffed.
As a general guide, for a turkey under 4.5kg allow 20 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 20 minutes; for one weighing between 4.5-6.5kg 18 minutes per 450g/1lb; and for those over 6.5kg 15 minutes per 450g/1lb. Some ovens, such as fan assisted ovens might cook the turkey more quickly, this is a guide only.
For the last 30 minutes of cooking take the foil away from the bird to allow the skin to brown and crisp. The turkey will need basting during this time. Ovens and turkeys themselves vary and the only sure way of knowing if a bird is ready is by using the tests below.
To test if the bird is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the leg with a thin skewer: the juices running out of it should be golden and clear, and the same applies to any part of the bird tested – there should be no trace of pinkness in the juices. You can also give the leg a little tug, to make sure there is some give in it.
Remove the turkey from the roasting tin and transfer to a warm carving dish. Place your turkey in a warm place to ‘relax’ for 30 to 40 minutes before carving.
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