Roast Turkey Recipes

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Perfect Roast Turkey

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours 20 Minutes

It's particularly important to get the cooking time right with turkey. Compared to other poultry turkey isn't particularly fatty so over cooking will dry it out. If you are using a frozen bird defrost thoroughly, remember the bigger the bird the longer it will take to defrost. The formula for cooking turkey is about 40 minutes per kilo at 180-220�C. This does however depend on the efficiency of your oven and the regularity of your basting.

If you've got an unusually big bird it's important to try the turkey for size in the oven so you know it will fit, that you have a roasting tray big enough and that you can fit any other necessary shelves in the oven. I like to cook the turkey upside down for about 40 minutes at about 200c to crisp the bottom before turning the right way up. This method assumes that you've made the stuffing separately, have removed the giblets and thoroughly defrosted the bird.

Ingredients: Serves 4-8
5 kg turkey
6 rashers streaky bacon
100g butter
splash of olive oil
salt and pepper

Cooking Instructions:

1. Rub the oil into the turkey then smear butter roughly over the skin, particularly the breasts area, add salt and pepper and place into a roasting tray on its back.

2. Place into a preheated oven at 200c for about 40 minutes

3. Remove from the oven, turn the bird the right way up, cover loosely with kitchen foil and roast for a further hour and a half at 180c.

4. Remove from the over, baste then spoon off all the excess fat, drape the bacon rashers across the turkey and roast for a further 70 minutes.

5. After about 200 minutes total cooking time push a sharp knife into the thigh, if no red meat juices escape the meat is probably cooked. Leave to stand for at least twenty minutes before carving.