Uncle Willies Roast Turkey Recipes

NO-BASTE, NO-BOTHER ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Adjust the oven racks so the covered roasting pan fit easily inside. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Rub the butter on the outside and in the cavity of the turkey. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on the inside and the outside of the turkey. Put the celery, onion and carrot in the cavity. Place the turkey, breast-side up, in a large roasting pan. Pour the boiling water into the pan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and put the pan in the oven.
• Start a timer when the oven temperature returns to 500 degrees F. Bake for exactly 1 hour and turn off the oven. Do not open the oven door! Leave the turkey in the oven until the oven completely cools; this may take 4 to 6 hours. Reserve the pan juices and refrigerate the turkey if it will not be served soon after roasting.

CHEF JOHN'S ROAST TURKEY AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. Tuck turkey wings under the bird, and season cavity with about 1 tablespoon of the poultry seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining poultry seasoning mix.
• Toss the onion, celery, and carrots together in a bowl. Stuff about 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture, rosemary sprigs, and 1/2 bunch sage into the cavity of the turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Loosen the skin on top of the turkey breast using fingers or a small spatula. Place about 2 tablespoons butter under the skin and spread evenly. Spread the remaining butter (about 2 tablespoons) all over the outside of the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the turkey with the remaining poultry seasoning mix.
• Spread the remaining onion, celery, and carrots into a large roasting pan. Place the turkey on top of the vegetables. Fill the pan with about 1/2 inch of water. Arrange a sheet of aluminum foil over the breast of the turkey.
• Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 3 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Remove the foil during the last hour of cooking. Baste the turkey with the pan juices.
• While the turkey is roasting, make stock: place neck, heart, and gizzards in a saucepan with the bay leaf and water. Simmer over medium heat for 2 hours. Strain the turkey giblets from the stock, and discard giblets. There should be at least 4 cups of stock.
• Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Pour the pan juices, about 3 cups, into a saucepan and set aside. Skim off the turkey fat from the pan juices, reserving about 2 tablespoons.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the turkey fat and 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Transfer the onion from the roasting pan into the skillet. Cook and stir until the onion is browned, about 5 minutes, then stir in the flour. Continue to cook and stir for about 5 minutes more; whisk in 4 cups of the skimmed turkey stock and the reserved pan juices until smooth; skim off any foam. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Simmer until the gravy is thickened, whisking constantly, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of chopped sage, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

UNCLE BILL'S METHOD FOR COOKING TURKEY

Steps:

• Turkey must be thoroughly thawed before preparing for the oven unless you are using a fresh turkey.
• Remove turkey parts from cavities and use as you desire.
• Wash cavities well with cold water.
• Boil a kettle of hot water (scalding hot.).
• Place turkey in a clean sink or a large roasting pan.
• Pour hot water over the entire turkey including in the cavities.
• The skin will shrink tightly to the turkey.
• "This will help hold the natural juices in the turkey while it is cooking. Do not peel skin back to layer herbs under the skin. This will destroy the process for a moist turkey.
• "Pat dry both inside and outside of turkey.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Sprinkle cavities with salt and black pepper and granulated garlic powder.
• If you are stuffing the bird, then line inside of cavity with cheesecloth, then stuff with your favorite dressing,"stuff loosely",.
• Tie legs and wings with a good meat wrapping twine and leave a lifting loop to remove the turkey from the pan when cooked.
• Place a wire rack in the bottom of roasting pan.
• Place the turkey on the wire rack, breast side up.
• Pour 2 cups of water or 2 cups of chicken broth into the pan.
• Pour about 1/2 cup or more if required of extra virgin olive oil over the exterior of the turkey.
• Cover the turkey with heavy aluminum foil, but do not let the foil touch the turkey as it will stick to the turkey while cooking.
• Pinch foil tight to the sides of the pan.
• Place turkey on lower rack in oven and cook for 1 hour.
• Reduce heat to 325 F and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
• Now turn heat up to 350 F and cook for another 1/2 hour.
• Remove foil from turkey. At this time test for doneness by inserting an instant read thermometer into the breast to see how the cooking temperature is. We are cooking towards a reading of 175°F.
• Baste,the turkey and continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 1 hour at 350 F, basting about every 15 minutes so that the turkey turns a nice brown color.
• When the time for cooking is finished, test for doneness. Insert the instant read thermometer into the thickest portion of the turkey breast, reading should be 175 F and no more. .
• Remove from oven, lift turkey out the roasting pan using the string loops.
• Cover with foil and let the turkey rest for about 1/2 hour before carving.
• Total time for cooking a 16 pound stuffed turkey is 5 hours.
• There is no need to baste the turkey until the last 1 hour of cooking, this saves you a lot of time as you do not have to remove the foil tent during the first 4 hours.
• For a crispy browner skin, you may wish to consider rubbing butter over the entire bird after pouring olive oil. This works very nicely.
• COOKING TIMES: Left Side -Stuffed---- Right Side - Unstuffed.
• *12-14lbs.
• 4 - 4 1/2 hours-- 3 1/2 - 3 3/4 hours.
• *14-16lbs.
• 4 1/2 - 5 hours-- 3 3/4 - 4 hours.
• *16-18lbs.
• 5- 5 1/2 hours-- 3 3/4 - 4 1/4 hours.
• *18-20lbs.
• 5 1/2 - 6 hours-- 4 1/4 - 4 1/2 hours.
• *20-22lbs.
• 6 - 6 1/4 hours-- 4 1/2 - 5 hours.
• *22-24lbs.
• 6 1/4- 6 1/2 hours-- 5 - 5 1/4 hours.
• NOTE: Test for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, reading should be 175 F and in the thickest part of the leg or thigh, reading should be 180°F.

SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Remove the giblets from inside the turkey. Pat the turkey dry and place it on a roasting rack, breast-side up. Cross the legs and tie them together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wings under the bird and transfer the roasting rack to its pan. Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Cover the whole bird and pan with aluminum foil, tucking it all the way under the pan. Roast for the first stage for 10 minutes per pound, 3 to 3 1/2 hours for an 18- to 20-pound turkey.
• Meanwhile, place the butter, rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon zest and orange zest in a bowl. Mix together until combined.
• After the first stage of cooking, remove the turkey from the oven and remove the foil. The turkey will still be pale at this stage. Smear the butter mixture all over the skin and into the crevices of the turkey so that it is totally covered. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Return the turkey to the oven and roast, basting every 30 minutes, until the internal temperature on the thermometer reads 165 degrees F, an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Put the turkey on a cutting board, cover loosely with fresh aluminum foil and rest for 25 to 30 minutes until you're ready to carve, saving the pan juices for gravy.

UNCLE WILLIE'S ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• pre-heat oven to 350.
• rub entire turkey with oil.
• fine dice sage and rosemary.
• mix salt, pepper, paprika, sage and rosemary.
• cover entire turkey with spice mixture.
• cut oranges in half and stuff in turkey.
• cut onion in quartars an drop in roasting pan.
• peel garlic and drop in roasting pan.
• roast on a rack breast side down for 2 hours.
• turn breast side up and finish to 170 degrees.
• let rest 20 min and eat.