cooking a turkey and how long?

Question

i was wondering how long you should cook a turkey in roaster
the turkey is 17 ilbs

Answer 1

Here you go.

One of the simplest things on the menu actually. Begin with washing your bird out completely including the front fat flap in front of the breast where the gibblets are usually packed and the neck from the body cavity. Some even place a gravy packet in one of these cavities as well. I know this because I have actually baked the giblets in the neck flap once when I was first trying to impress the family with my cooking prowess.

Once washed out I season the cavities with just salt and pepper. If you are stuffing, stuff the bird just before placing in the oven. Fill with stuffing and either truss the legs together with string, or tuck the drummy's into the fat flap at the tail. I like the old fashined roasting pan if doing it in the oven. If you are doing in one of the cheap foil roasting pans, be sure to tent with foil also or it will dry out the bird.

I roast at 350 degrees and use the general guide of 20 minutes per pound. You can test with a meat thermometer inserted to the thick part of the meat away from bones and done at 180 degrees. You can also buy a cheap pop up thermometer and insert into the thick part of the breast or as I do, once you have roasted for 20 minutes per pound, a fork inserted into the thickest part of the thigh and breast should result in clear juices running out and no red.

Once the turkey is done I remove from heat and leave covered for 5 minutes before carving and serving. Carving should be just before serving the plate full of turkey as it is best served once everything else is on the table.

Once you get accomplished at this, try it smoked in a Webber grill. Shorter cooking time and it is smokey wonderment. DELICIOUS!

Answer 2

The previous answer is wonderful. But I'm going to add one item. My family cuts up the turkey and serves it on a platter already sliced. We don't take a beautiful browned turkey to the table because our turkey is not browned and beautiful. I cook my turkey in the roaster, breast down. This keeps the driest part of the turkey in the broth while it is cooking and the meat is more moist (but not picture pretty) I get the turkey ready and start him in the roaster 350 at midnight. At some point in the early hours I wake up and turn him down to 275 and just leave it. By the time we are ready he is very tender and tasty. At the recommended temperature he is safe to eat but is more tender if cooked (low) for longer.

Also, I do not put stuffing in the bird. There is some danger about bacteria and temperatures inside the bird. I cook my dressing in the over the next morning after pouring off the broth from the roaster for the dressing and gravy. YUMMMY

Answer 3

Start cooking the turkey in a 400 degree oven to crisp up the skin. Then turn the heat down to 325 or so. You'll know the turkey is done when the thickest part (preferably the area around a bone) reaches 165 degrees internal temperature. That's the temperature that you're supposed to cook poultry to to kill off all the bacteria.

Answer 4

That is really too large a turkey U shoudl ahve got a 9 - 12 lbs for a family. Anyway here is how u do it in simple & easy.
After U have cleaned it well U dry off excess water .

Ingredients:-
4 teasps. fine salt
freshly grounded pepper - 5 teasps.
ITALIAN seasoning - 2 tabsp

- Rub them all over as even as u can in & out to coat.
- Get a large tin foil & place a table spoonful butter or olive oil & rub all over the foil so then U place the TURKEY onto the foil (this was while it is roasting the skin wont stick onto the foil) FOLD the foil over at top & roll the excess & sides to flap it up so the juices wont spill over) & place onto a large baking pan
- Place it in the preheat oven 150 celcius or 350 degrees heat , roast for well over 1 & half hour ,
- Check the turkey by taking it out & open the foil & then U hold it in such a way & U pour the excess juices onto a large bowl (this to make a gravy later) . Cover it back & roast again for another 1 hour but with heat turned down to 300.
- Check it again & this time U open the foil & flap it to the sides . U move the turkey to its sides & U place it back in the over to roast the skin for half hour this side & U do the same for the other side till U see it is nice & golden brown.
- then U let it roast the top for another half hour till golden brown ,,,dont forget to test it by pokign with a long & sharp skewer to see if the juices still flow out plenty. If this is so then U ahve to keep it in for another half hour but close it back to keep it from browing the skin too much.

I am sure U can do this well by looking at it U should be able to tell if this is well done or not. U can keep pouring out the juices each time U take it out only after over 2 hours of roasting coz u need the juices to keep the meat from being too dry.

For the sauce:- Chop up 2 large onions & try to take the top of the oil that is on top of the stock & use this to fry the onions till nice & light golden brown & fragrant. Then ADD THE WELL MIXED CHICKEN STOCK U HAVE PREPARED (BELOW) & COOK TILL U SEE IT IS GETTING A BIT THICK BUT RUNNY TO POUR AS GRAVY FOR TEH TURKEY MEAT.

Get a cube of KNORR SWISS CHICKEN STOCK CUBE & melt this in a bowl of hot water about 1 cup or more. The pour this into the juices bowl & add salt to taste, about 1 & half teasp. (maybe)

Add just cornflour about 1 teasp into a cup with water (never to be hot) & then add this to the sauce bowl of juices & stir well & just taste if not too salty. By now U would have at least about 2 - 3 cups of watery gravy ,,,POUR ALL THIS INTO THE ONIONS U JUST FRIED.

The sauce is to be made just half hour before serving so it si nice & warm or hot.

U have to let the whole roast sit for at least few hours before U slice or serve. Then U can slice it in the kitchen & then U lay it back the way it presents as a whole turkey so that ur guests can take the sliced meat neatly. Garnish the turkey with boiled potatoes cut into large chunks, dresh tomatoes, cumcumber slices.

U make a large bowl of salad to accompany this meal. Garlic bread.

BON APPETITE!!

Answer 5

3 1/2 to 4 hours roughly. Get a meat thermometer. When the bird reads 160 degrees take it out and let it rest (1/2 hour). it will carry over cook the rest of the way.

Answer 6

spiced roasted turkey

1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon star anise pieces
4 teaspoons coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons finely grated (with a Microplane) peeled ginger (a 5-inch piece)
2 tablespoons finely grated (with a Microplane) garlic (8 cloves)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 (14-pound) turkey at room temperature 1 hour, any feathers and quills removed with tweezers or needlenose pliers, reserving neck and giblets (discard liver)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bunches scallions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
6 (1/4-inch-thick) slices fresh ginger
1 cup Chinese rice wine, such as Shaoxing, or medium-dry Sherry
4 to 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder; kitchen string; a V-shaped roasting rack; a 17- by 14-inch roasting pan; a 1-quart measuring cup; a fat separator (optional)

Preparation
Make turkey:
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.

Toast spices with sea salt in a dry small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and coriander is a shade darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to grinder and pulse until finely ground. Reserve 1 teaspoon spice mixture, then stir together remaining spice mixture with grated ginger, garlic, and butter to form a paste.

Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Fold neck skin under body. Starting at large cavity end of turkey, gently slide your fingers between skin and flesh of breast and legs to loosen skin, being careful not to tear skin. Using a spoon, slide spice paste under skin of turkey breast and legs, pushing butter out of spoon with a finger on outside of skin (do not put spice paste under turkey skin in advance). Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and tuck wings under body.

Pat giblets and neck pieces dry and cut into 1-inch pieces. Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté giblets and neck pieces, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add scallions, carrots, celery, and sliced ginger and sauté, stirring, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

Add rice wine and boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute. Stir in 4 cups broth, soy sauce, and reserved teaspoon spice mixture and bring to a boil. Pour mixture into roasting pan, then set rack in roasting pan, arranging neck pieces and vegetables around rack as necessary (liquid should be just below bottom of rack).

Roast turkey on rack, rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through roasting, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thighs (test both, close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer turkey to a platter, reserving juices in roasting pan. Let turkey stand, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 175°F).

Make gravy while turkey stands:
Strain pan juices through a large fine-mesh sieve into 1-quart measure, pressing hard on and then discarding solids, and let stand until fat rises to top. Skim off and discard fat. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into measuring cup, discarding fat.) You should have 4 cups stock. If there is less, add more broth. If there's more, boil to reduce. Transfer all but 1/2 cup stock to a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

Whisk together cornstarch and 1/2 cup reserved stock in a small bowl until smooth, then whisk into boiling stock and boil, whisking occasionally, 2 minutes. Serve turkey with gravy.

Cooks' note: Spice mixture can be toasted and ground 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
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simple roast turkey with rich turkey gravy

1 (16-lb) turkey at room temperature 1 hour, any feathers and quills removed with tweezers or needlenose pliers, and neck and giblets removed and reserved for another use if desired
1 tablespoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoons black pepper
2 cups water
7 to 8 cups turkey stock
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Special equipment: 2 small metal skewers; kitchen string; a 17- by 14-inch flameproof roasting pan with a flat rack; an instant-read thermometer; a 2-qt glass measuring cup
Preparation
Make turkey:
Put oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Sprinkle turkey cavities and skin with salt and pepper. Fold neck skin under body and secure with metal skewers, then tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and tuck wings under body.

Put turkey on rack in roasting pan. Add 1 cup water to pan and roast without basting, rotating pan halfway through roasting, until thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thighs (test both thighs; do not touch bones) registers 170°F, 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours.

Carefully tilt turkey so any juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer turkey to a platter, reserving juices in roasting pan. Let turkey stand, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 180°F).

Make gravy while turkey stands:
Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into measuring cup (do not clean roasting pan), then skim off and discard fat. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into measure, discarding fat.)

Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add remaining cup water and deglaze roasting pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Pour through sieve into measuring cup containing pan juices. Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to bring total to 8 cups (if stock is congealed, heat to liquefy).

Melt butter in a 4-quart heavy pot and stir in flour. Cook roux over moderate heat, whisking, 5 minutes. Add stock mixture in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper, then stir in cider vinegar (to taste).