If you have never baked a Turkey for the holidays  it may seem to be a little over whelming. But it is quite easy.  First of all most turkeys you buy are frozen. Make sure that  your bird is not bigger than the oven. If you don't have a large roasting pan you might want to buy one of those  cheap aluminum ones. I prefer my good stainless steel one with a rack in the bottom . A turkey can be very heavy and getting it out of the oven may be tricky in one of those thin pans.

 First step is to get the turkey defrosted safely. Depending on size  It may take a couple of days  in the refrigerator. You can thaw it out by putting it in cold water but never thaw poultry at room temperature. Once you can get into the neck and rear cavities you will want to pull out anything you find. The giblets, neck and livers are usually found inside the turkey wrapped  in waxed paper. These parts can be boiled separate to make a base for giblet gravy. 

Next wash the cavity under running water. Pat the turkey dry and lightly salt both insides and out side. Now on most turkeys that you buy there are directions for time and  temperature. Depends on size,, how long this will take.. So if want dinner to arrive at a certain time you will need to read all this stuff  in advance.  I like to baste the bird in butter of margarine before I start and about every hour it is cooking. I put the bird in a aluminum tent breast part up and uncover it the last hour. It is a good idea to keep the legs and wings covered until they start to separate from the bird.  They will get too done before the breast part is nice and brown. 

 It is safer not to stuff the bird and it is recommended that the stuffing be baked separate. Speaking of safety reminds me to tell you that you need to keep your cooking preparation very clean when handling any kind of poultry , that includes counter, knives,  your hands and  anything that has come in contact with the raw bird. In this day of "bird flu" it is very important. They are advising  that turkey is safe to eat once it is cooked. A meat thermometer is a good investment for your kitchen. My favorite dressing is a variation of the Jimmy Dean sausage dressing. Write me if you can't find a copy of it.

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