1. Pre heat the oven to 220 C/425 F/ Gas Mark 7
2. Place two large sheets of foil across the roasting tin, one lengthways and one width ways
3. Place the turkey on its breast in the centre of the foil & loosely wrap the turkey in a parcel, allowing plenty of space between the flesh & foil.
4. Place the turkey in the hot oven and cook for 30 – 60 minutes (depending on size) before reducing the heat to 190 C/375F / Gas Mark 5.
5. About 30 minutes before the end of cooking (see table below) open the foil & carefully turn the bird onto its back to brown the breast.
6. To check if your turkey is fully cooked, pierce the thickest part with a skewer. If the juices run golden & clear it is ready, but if they run pink continue cooking. Pop up timers are a useful guide but you should still use the skewer test.
7. Transfer the turkey to a large plate & allow to rest for 30 – 50 minutes before carving. Don’t worry about the turkey going cold; it will retain it’s heat and is an important step to help tenderise the meat.
*Remember the oven ready weight refers to the stuffed prepared bird.
Oven Ready Weight* | Approx Cooking Time |
---|---|
4kg | 2h 35 |
5kg | 2h 55 |
6kg | 3h 15 |
7kg | 3h 40 |
8kg | 4h 00 |
9kg | 4h 25 |
10kg | 4h 45 |
11kg | 5h 00 |