Perfect everytime Roast Turkey

 

 1 turkey, thawed

olive oil

 

 

preheat oven to 325 degrees

1.rinse turkey well including the cavity.  DO NOT STUFF-unsafe at low temp.

 

2.rub skin and cavity with olive oil (regular veg. oil works too)

 

3. place turkey in a roasting  pan breast side down.

 

4. bake for 1.5 hours at 325 degrees. (this will kill surface bacteria and

get the internal temperature up quicker)

 

5. turn oven down to about 200-225 degrees

 

6. allow to cook overnight, uncovered.  no need to baste

 

7.  in the morning insert a meat thermometer into thickest part of thigh.

Depending on how close to 180-185 degrees the internal temp. is, adjust the heat accordingly.  If it is at 185 already, you can turn down the oven temp. to 185 degrees to "hold" until it's ready to serve.

 

The only problem that might occur is if it's not put in the oven soon enough the night before.  The original recipe suggests putting a 22 pound turkey in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour starting at 5 pm and then turning down the oven temp. to 185 in order for the turkey to be done by 10 or 11 am the next morning.   Obviously, this recipe shouldn't take quite as long.  Smaller or larger turkeys will need to have times adjusted.

 

From Emilie Barne's
The Complete Holiday Organizer