One of the traditional parts of Thanksgiving and Christmas at our house. There's nothing quite like the smell of it coming out of the oven.
Methods/steps
If frozen, defrost the turkey in the refrigerator for several days ahead of time. The rule of thumb is 5 hours per pound to defrost. This is the safestway to do this.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In each end of the turkey there is a cavity. Remove the packages from each cavity. One will be the neck, the other are the giblets (heart, gizzard,liver). Set both packages aside for now.
Rinse out the turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Generously salt the inside of the turkey by rubbing the salt into the meat. Repeat this with the poultry seasoning. Then rub the salt and seasoningon the the outside of the turkey. If there is a plastic tie holding the legs together, it’s usually ok to leave it. Check the package directions if you arenot sure. Tie a string around the turkey to hold the wings in if necessary.
Line a pan with aluminum foil. Leave a long piece foil hanging over the sides. Place the turkey in the pan and bring the foil up and over it. Seal the turkey in the foil. Check the package directions for cooking time estimates. This will vary depending on how it was processed and the size of the turkey. Cook theturkey at 400 degrees for the first 30 minutes, then reduct the heat to 350 degrees for about 2 hours. After that, cook at 300 degrees. The ONLY way to ensure that the turkey is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. For the last 45 minutes of suggested cooking time, pull thefoil off the top. (At this point, you can also suction out some of the drippings for dressing or gravy (see appropriate recipes). Insert the meat thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh, being careful not to hit the bone. The dark meat is done at about 175 degrees F. Also check the temp of the breast. It should be 160 – 165 degrees. When you stick a fork in the meat, the juices should run clear, not pink. After removing the turkey from the oven, let it sit for about 15 minutes before carving. (Another good time to suction juices).