MOM'S CLASSIC ROAST TURKEY BY FREDA

Steps:

• 1. Here's where we Start. . . With the Bird, (TURKEY)Place In a Pan to catch any drips, (this way you are Making sure Any drips or Leaking stays contained) Bring Turkey to Room Temp from refer. keep it in wrapper till ready to cook. Remove before Roasting. (if your turkey is "frozen", you need to thaw in the refer several days to thaw, can take 3 days to thaw in refer if Frozen, and then follow same procedure above)
• 2. REMINDER: Use same Sanitary Precautions as you would for any Raw chicken. wash hands with hot soapy water. dry with paper towels
• 3. Remove Plactic turkey is sealed in. Remove pkg inserted in the cavity of the Turkey.(usually a neck bone heart, gizzard also liver)save to boil for Gravy or Soup later. PREHEAT OVEN @ 400.
• 4. Wash out Turkey in your sink with water. remove any stubs of Feather left on bird. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Lather inside of this cavity with a 1/2 a handfull of salt.
• 5. Put 1/2 a cube of butter cut in pieces under the Skin of the Turkey. (the skin is easy to Pull up and insert that butter as far under the Skin as possible.) Now take the Onion, celery, garlic and carrots and Place in the Cavity of the Bird.Tie with string if you must to keep it from falling out. you can place a little ion the neck cavity also.
• 6. Tie Your Legs of the turkey together with twine or String to Keep legs together close to the turkey's body.
• 7. Now with Your Melted Butter, Rub over the entire turkey, (Just lather that baby, I mean Bird.) Sprinkle with salt peper and paprika all over outside. . to taste & season well.
• 8. Place Turkey Breast Down on the bottom of the Rack in a "very Sturdy" Roasting pan. (you don't want any mishaps trying to left the bird from a flimsy pan) you can add rosemary and thyme now all over the outside of the turkey. NOTE: Roasting the Bird with breast down makes for a much more Moist Breast. Half way thru baking Turn Bird over to Brown the Breast if you want a browned Breast.
• 9. Place Turkey in 400 degree Oven, Covered for 1 hr. Then Uncover and follow Baking time Instructions on your Packaging for the bird. Basting Bird with Drippings every 1 hr or so. Start Baking at 400 for 1/2 hr. Reduce Heat to 350 for the next 2 hrs. Then reduce heat to 225 for the remaining cooking time. This helps to Not Over Cook the Bird nor Dry it out. This Helps to make for a very Moist Bird.
• 10. TIP: It is reccommended 15 min per pound, baking time for a 15 Lb Turkey. NOTE of Caution: if you choose to bake with breast down you can turn it over 1/2 way thru and place bird under Broiler at the end for a few min to Brown more. approx 4-5 min. but you also run the risk to overcook the breast by doing this. That is the risk you take if you do it this way. using a thermometer you want the DARK MEAT @ 175degrees. 165 for the breast. the temp will continue to rise after removing from the Oven, So I take mine out 5 degrees less than it needs to be. Remove from Pan onto platter. Let Rest 15-20 min before carving. Enjoy this bird. and add your own sides and don't forget the vegies in the cavities Soo good.
• 11. DRIPPINGS IN PAN: Scrape & Use Drippings in the pan for Your Turkey gravy. Hint: You can also boil and Chop gibblets, (That's the Pkg you took from the inside of the turkey) and add this to your garvy for Giblet gravy.
• 12. GRAVY from Drippings: Scrape all the drippings in the pan, Add 4 Tbs Butter in same pan Add 4 Tbs Flour to same Mix as for a Roux. Over Medium heat. Blend til smooth and not Lumpy. add 2 cups cold turkey broth from your Boiled Gibblets. Whisk very well as not to have any lumps. when this starts to thicken, add 2 more cups, now, as it thickens to your Desired consistency. Whisk continually. Salt and Pepper to taste. . . Now Serve and Enjoy Makes 4 cups gravy.