Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients

• * 1 turkey
• * 1 lemon
• * Olive oil
• * Salt and pepper
• * 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• * Tops and bottoms of a bunch of celery
• * 2 carrots
• * Sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme


Method

1) Thaw the turkey 3-4 days in advance (It can take up to 5 hours of defrosting per pound). Keep the turkey in its plastic wrapping and leave in the refrigerator until it is ready to cook.

2) Remove the neck and giblets, heart and liver. Keep them as you will use them for making stock for the stuffing.

3) Preheat the oven to 205°C.

4) Wash turkey with water. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Lather the inside of the cavity with lemon juice. Use half of a lemon. Then use a handful of salt and rub all over the inside of the turkey.

5) Put inside the turkey a half yellow onion, peeled and quartered, a bunch of parsley, a couple of carrots, and some tops and bottoms of celery. Then cap the body cavity with aluminum foil so that the vegetables don't fall out. This is not the stuffing but this is for adding flavor to the turkey. The stuffing is cooked separately.

6) Close up the turkey cavity with cooking twine. Make sure that the turkey's legs are tied together, held close to the body, and tie a string around the turkey body to hold the wings in close.

7) Rub olive oil all over the outside of the turkey. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the outside of the turkey.

8) Place turkey BREAST DOWN in a roasting pan. The pan should be large so that it can catch all the drippings. When cooking the turkey breast down, all of the juices from the cooking turkey will fall down into the breast, hence making it succulent and not dry.

9) Add several sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary to the outside of the turkey.

10) Put the turkey in the oven. Check cooking directions on the packaging. Some turkeys don't take as long to cook. However, calculate approximately 15mins of cooking per pound.

* For a 7 lb turkey (3.25kg), cook for 15mins at 205°C (401° F).

* Then reduce the heat to 175°C (350° F) and cook for 1 hour.

* Reduce heat to 107°C (225 F) and cook for another 45 mins.

11) Check the temperature readings with a meat thermometer, inserted deep into the thickest part of the turkey breast and thigh. The temperature of the thigh should be 75°C (170° F) and for the breast 70°C (160° F).

12) If you don't have a meat thermometer, spear the breast with a knife. The turkey juices should be clear not pink.

13) If not ready, cook for another 10-15 mins and check again.

14) Once you remove the turkey from the oven, let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Turn the turkey breast side up to carve it.

15) Please check the "Thanksgiving Stuffing" link above for the turkey stuffing recipe.