I like home-made gifts. Some of the ones I’ve treasured the most and saved for decades have been little ornaments made by friends and relatives - and I’ve gotten some very nice recipes from home-made gifts of food.
This is an old recipe, but it makes for a great roasted turkey .... due to the high temp, it doesn’t take all day to make one. I did a 20 lb bird in 2011 & it was delicious - I didn’t open the foil to brown & it was golden brown anyway. I’m doing another 20 lb bird today, so turkey is on my mind!
My aunt is the one who passed the recipe on to me with this note (’E’ is my cousin’s wife]:
“This is an unbelievably delicious recipe obtained by E’s mother when Reynolds Aluminum foil first became available. The turkey/hen will be nice and moist (from the steam). E said she always buys the cheapest turkey on the shelf in the grocery store.”
Recipe:
Totally defrost turkey/hen.
Bake @ 450° - open heavy foil last 20-30 minutes to brown
Bake time per pound:
For 6 - 8 lbs, 1.5 to 2.0 hours
For 8 - 12 lbs, 2.0 to 2.5 hours
For 12 - 16 lbs, 2.5 to 3.0 hours
For 16 - 20 lbs, 3.0 to 3.5 hours
For 20 - 22 lbs, 3.5 to 4.0 hours
To Prepare:
Wash turkey/hen in cold water.
Wipe with paper towels.
Rub skin with butter, salt & pepper - place empty butter wrappers on wing tips
Use HEAVY DUTY foil (2 large sheets put together by french seam in middle). Totally enclose turkey & fold foil so steam cannot escape.
Put foil enclosed turkey in roasting pan & bake per chart above.
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My memory of the 2011 large bird was having to redo the foil because I didn’t make the foil sheets big enough the first time around & trying to “wrangle” the whole thing into the roasting pan. It was the first time I’d used this recipe & was really delighted that the turkey turned out so well.
For the gravy tonight, I’m trying Red Badger’s giblet gravy recipe, sans hard boiled eggs & using xanthan gum to thicken:
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