Never mind the chestnuts roasting on an open fire... what about the turkey roasting in your oven?

Amid all the adventurous recipes for spiced-up veg and jazzed-up roast potatos, there’s one inescapable fact... if you’re having a traditional Christmas dinner you still need to cook a turkey.

And it’s not every week that you buy or cook a bird that size, so it’s as well to mug up on a few facts.

THAWING

If you’ve bought a frozen turkey the thaw is as important as the roast. The best way to thaw it is in the fridge. Leave in its original bag, place in a pan, and put in the refrigerator. It takes about four hours per pound – so that’s two or three days for an average size turkey. If you’re in a hurry or you don’t have enough refrigerator space you can use cold water. Leave the turkey in its original bag, put it in the sink, and cover it competely with COLD water. It’s important to change the water every half hour. This method takes about 30 minutes per pound, or 6-9 hours (overnight) for an average size turkey.

PREPARATION

After thawing, remove the turkey bag. Remove the neck and giblets from the neck and body cavities. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. If stuffing, loosely stuff the body and neck cavities with stuffing, then reset the legs in position.

ROASTING

Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Cover with foil but try to make a tent effect so that the foil is not in contact with the bird. Roast in a pre-heated 180oC/325oF oven. Remove the cover for the last hour for final browning. Roasting will take about 15 minutes per pound if the turkey is not stuffed. Stuffed turkeys require an additional half hour to 1 hour cooking time.

Approximate roasting time for unstuffed turkey:

  • 8-12 lbs: 2 3/4 to 3 hours
  • 12-14 lbs: 3 to 3 3/4 hours
  • 14-18 lbs: 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
  • 18-20 lbs: 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
  • 20-24 lbs: 4 1/2 to 5 hours
  • Remember: stuffed turkeys require an additional 30-60 minutes.

Remove foil for the last 45 minutes to allow the skin to crisp. Once cooking time is complete let the turkey stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. This will not only make it easier to carve, but will make it more uniformly moist. Untie the legs and remove all the stuffing.

TOP TIPS

  • For an attractive presentation, garnish the turkey platter with fruits and other attractive produce. Try a heap of fresh cranberries, piles of leafy greens or fresh herbs (such as whole basil), a few kumquats or orange slices, or grapes dusted in sugar.
  • Never thaw a frozen turkey at room temperature! Thawing a turkey in the microwave is not recommended.