Roasted Turkey

Photo: flickr user avlxyz

Ingredients

1 turkey - (12 to 14 lbs) thawed if frozen

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Melted butter as needed

cup butter - (1 stick)

1 lrg onion

1 cup diced celery leaves - (to 2 cups)

12 cups toasted ½" bread cubes

teaspoon salt

teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

cup minced fresh sage

(or 1 tbspn dried sage)

cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup turkey stock, water or

Preparation

To roast turkey unstuffed, season bird with salt and pepper to taste inside and out. If desired, insert pieces of celery, carrots and onions to improve flavor. Fold neck skin to back and fasten with skewer. Fasten legs down by tying or tucking under clamp or skin band.

For the Basic Bread Stuffing: Melt butter in large stockpot. Add onion and celery and cook until vegetables are tender but not browned. Add to bread cubes in large bowl. Add salt, pepper, sage and parsley, and toss until well mixed. Add turkey stock and blend well. Bake any excess stuffing in lightly greased casserole at 325 degrees until heated through, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Remove giblet bag from turkey. Check both cavities for extra parts. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry. Rub salt and pepper to taste into neck and body cavities. Loosely pack stuffing into neck and body cavities. Do not overstuff. Stuffing expands during cooking.

Skewer neck skin to back of bird to hold stuffing in place. Tuck drumsticks with clamp or skin band, or tie with kitchen twine, and tuck wings under bird. Allow 1/2 to 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey. If recipe makes more stuffing than bird will hold, place in lightly greased casserole at 325 degrees until heated through, 30 to 45 minutes.

Place turkey, breast-side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Brush with melted butter. Roast uncovered at 325 degrees 20 to 22 minutes per pound (if turkey weighs more than 16 pounds, roast 18 to 20 minutes per pound), or until thermometer reaches 165 degrees in stuffing (if roasting unstuffed, take temperature in thigh).

Check turkey for doneness by inserting instant-read meat thermometer into center of thigh and inside stuffing. Baste with melted butter every 30 to 45 minutes. If bird is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil or cover breast with butter-soaked cheesecloth.

When turkey is done, remove from oven and let turkey rest at room temperature 20 minutes.

This recipe yields 10 to 12 servings.