Turkey

Turkey - the old-fashioned way

Salt
Water
Chicken or Turkey Broth (8 cups)
Roasting Pan
Celery - Approximately 3 stalks
Onion - two regular size
Salt
Pepper
2 sticks of butter

Thaw and Prepare the Turkey
Thaw Turkey the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. Thaw turkey in refrigerator.
Wednesday evening, was turkey very well - inside and outside.
Pull all bagged parts out of the turkey. NOTE: There will be 2-4 bags, depending on the packaging. These bags contain the heart, liver, neck, (giblets), and usually a gravy.
Save these parts for your gravy; give to the dog, or toss out.
Rub turkey with salt and salt the inside.

Salt Water Brine Soak
(A salt water brine soak may also be done a day before the turkey is ready to cook. To use a salt water brine, place the turkey in a pot of water and add desired amount of salt. We normally add 1/2-1 cup of salt. Make sure the turkey is covered in the salt water brine for this process.
The day of preparation, rinse the turkey off - inside and out. Prepare as desired).

Cooking the Turkey
To prep the turkey for the oven, fold the turkey wings under the bird's body. Make sure to place the turkey - breast side up. Note: If the legs are on the bottom and tucked under the bird, it is correct.

Use a large roasting pan with lid.
Place bird in roaster.
Salt and Pepper the bird lightly.
Add chicken or turkey broth. Water may also be added to the broth. Make sure the liquid is about half way up the pan.
Chop onions and celery and place into the roasting pan with the turkey.
I usually place 2 sticks of butter inside the bird, for my own butterball.
Place lid on the roasting pan and place into an oven at 175-200 degrees.

Note: Some people stuff the turkey with dressing (stuffing) and/or apples. If this is done, I would highly caution eating whatever has been cooked inside the cavity of the bird. For this reason, I make my dressing separately from scratch made from the liquid from the bird, corn bread, toast, salt, pepper, eggs, and sage.

Please note: today's health professionals ask that we not cook a turkey at a low temperature. However, this process has been used in my family for generations. We place the turkey into a low degree oven around midnight on Wednesday. Around 6:00 - 8:00 am Thanksgiving morning, we turn the oven temperature up to 325 degrees, remove half of the liquid for gravy and dressing and remove the lid to begin browning the bird over the next hour.

Early on Thanksgiving morning
(around 6:00 - 8:00 am), take the bird out of the oven.
Baste (use a large spoon to begin pouring the broth over the bird).
Remove half of the liquid (or more) and set aside for the dressing (stuffing) and gravy.
At this time, you do not need very much broth left inside the roasting pan. It is now ready for the gravy and dressing recipes.

Final cooking
Turn oven up to 325 degrees. Cook uncovered for approximately one hour.

Details: Place the turkey back into the oven - with the lid off the roasting pan.
Continue to check the bird and baste as desired.
Melted butter may be used to help the browning process. Pour or brush melted butter all over the top of the bird.
Bird should begin to brown, so check every 25 minutes or so and keep basting so it does not dry out. Usually, within an hour, the turkey will be ready.
Once browned and cooked, remove the roasting pan from the oven, place the lid back onto the pan and set aside while the other meal sides are prepared.

My turkey is never dry and my husband enjoys literally shaking the bones (or pulling them right out) from the bird. Carving is quite easy. 

Alterations: A Reynold's Oven Roasting bag may also be used. These bags help keep the turkey moist. However, obtaining the liquid created is much harder if the bird is inside this bag.