how to cook a turkey?

Step 1 Choose a good turkey. Although a lot of people will have a different budget for buying a turkey, it's a wise idea to purchase one that you can best afford. The turkey should be free range, organic, and rather purchased fresh from a butcher instead of a supermarket to ensure quality and freshness.

Step 2 Thaw the turkey, if necessary. If you happen to choose a frozen turkey for your Thanksgiving, it's very important to take it out of the freezer ahead of time to allow the turkey to fully defrost and thaw prior to cooking. It should be thawed in its original wrapping in a deep tray at the bottom of the refrigerator and opened only to allow it to set to room temperature a few hours prior to preparation.

Step 3 Remove the giblets from the inside cavity and then the turkey, rinsed under cold running water. Afterward, pat dry with a dish rag thoroughly. If the turkey is going to be stuffed, the stuffing should be added to the neck cavity at this time. See How to Stuff a Turkey for Thanksgiving. Weigh the whole stuffed turkey to determine how long cooking time will be. The average cooking time is 20 minutes per pound of the whole turkey.

Step 4 Brine the turkey if desired. Brining is the very simple and inexpensive process of “marinating” the bird in a salt solution infused with aromatic herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables. The salting process encourages very deep, cellular moisture penetration, which basically means less drying out during roasting...resulting in a moister bird.

Roasting

Step 1 Oven temperature plays an important role while properly cooking a turkey. The setting should be at 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius). This exact temperature should stay for at least the first 30 to 45 minutes in order for the heat to fully penetrate the turkey. After a half an hour, the temperature should be reduced to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius) to finish cooking.

Step 2 The tray the turkey is roasted in should be covered thoroughly with two sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. One sheet should go length-wise and the next sheet the other way. Also make sure the sheets are large enough to fully wrap over and around the whole entire turkey to form a loose sealed tent to cook in. This keeps in moisture, and doesn't allow the turkey to burn or dry out.

Step 3 Place the turkey on the foil rubbed with 4 ounces of room temperature unsalted butter to the breast meat and thighs. Also consider wrapping strips of bacon on the breast meat to keep it moist during cooking. Wrap the foil up over the turkey and place in the oven carefully.

Step 4 Basting should be done every 30 minutes or so after the cooking temperature has already been reduced. Doing this earlier will drop the oven temperature and disrupt cooking time. Also consider being extra cautious while unwrapping and wrapping the turkey up between bastings to prevent the risk of getting burned.

Step 5 To receive a nice crispy skin on the turkey, the foil over the breast and thighs should be removed and so should the bacon to allow to crisp. This ensures the cooking process to be complete and makes a great appearance as well.

Step 6 When you're estimated cooking time is finished (depending on the weight of your turkey), check to see if the turkey is fully cooked by sticking a metal skewer or fork into the thickest part (thigh is recommended). If any red juices or traces of pink meat are present, consider placing the turkey back into the oven for an additional 20 minutes or so. The turkey is fully cooked when all juices run clear and are free of any pink and red.

Step 7 After removing from the oven, it should be wrapped in new foil and put aside 30-40 minutes prior to carving. This allows the juice in the bird to stay and distribute evenly throughout the whole entire turkey.

Frying

Step 1. Deep frying a turkey is also an option many people have. It's wise to have the proper equipment such as a burner, a large size pot and basket big enough to fit the turkey and oil in, long oven mitts, a meat thermometer, a fire extinguisher (incase of emergency grease fires), tongs, and a platter lined with paper towels to absorb grease.

Step 2 Start by placing the burner on the ground (preferably on level dirt or grass) and away from a place that a fire might be likely to spread. Do not fry the turkey inside, on a wooden deck, or in a garage. Also, the oil from the pot can stain concrete so frying it in the driveway or sidewalk may not be the best choice.

Step 3 Fill the fryer with the proper amount of oil and do not overfill it. To prepare yourself to see how much oil you will need, consider placing the turkey in the empty pit and adding water and the amount of water should be replaced with oil later on.

Step 4 Consider using a good frying oil such as canola, peanut, soybean, corn, safflower and cottonseed oils. Try to avoid oils with a low smoke point such as olive oil. Frying a turkey should be at a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 5 Choose a turkey under 12 pounds. Anything bigger will result in a problem. The turkey should be thawed completely and removed of giblets in the inside cavity and plastic doneness indicators. Rinse with cold water and dry the turkey inside and out thoroughly with paper towels. Make sure the turkey is fully dried as with more water, the more oil that will pop when submerged.

Step 6 A good seasoning should consists of a dry rub or injecting with a marinade. For frying time, the turkey should take an estimated 3 minutes per pound when cooking at 350 degrees.

Step 7 After removing the turkey from the fryer, it should be left alone for about 15 minutes to rest. The internal temperature should also be at least 180 degrees after frying.

Once the turkey has been prepared, i.e., washed and patted dry...

Put a little butter and fresh herbs underneath the skin itself.

About 20 min per pound. Keep basting throughout.

During the last hour or so of cooking, place foil on top of bird to prevent any burning and ensure crispiness.

You may also put a few root vegetables in the bootom of the baking dish and around the turkey. Cut up in bite size wedges: celery, rutabaga, turnip, yams, potatoes.

Relax...this isn't as bad as u think. First suggestion, follow package directions for cooking time/temperature. Second, rinse your bird well with cold water inside & out, then pat dry with paper towel. Make sure you have a roasting pan that fits your bird (I use disposable, way less clean up). Also, use a roasting bag (Reynolds). You don't have to worry about basting the turkey that way. Season & if u like stuff with favorite stuffing recipe. Butter or oil the top of your bird for a nice golden brown skin before putting it into the roasting bag. Use a meat thermometer to make sure your bird is cooked completely. Good luck & Happy Thanksgiving!

If it is still a little frozen you can run cool water over it. Rinse it out and remove all the giblets (in the cavity and the neck). Pick out the odd bits of guts inside and rinse well with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. If you're making stuffing prepare it. Place the turkey in the roasting pan (use the rack if you have one, place on top of celery stalks if you don't) and rub it with butter. Place in oven and add water. Bake for 3-4 hours (add 1/2 hour for stuffing) baste it every 15-20 minutes.

I have a big needle and heavy thread to close the bird and I put stuffing in both the cavity and neck.