Roast Turkey

Buy the right sized turkey: 1.25 to 1.5 lb per person if for one meal, 2 lb per person if two leftover meals are the aim. Clean thoroughly: remove pinfeathers with care, singe, wash thoroughly and drain well. Remove fat from gizzard; render. Cook giblets until tender; cool and store in refrigerator. Meanwhile, pull neck skin of turkey back as far as possible, rub 1 tbsp salt into breast flesh, 2 tbsp inside bird. Rub outside with fat. Cover with wax paper then with a cloth; store in fridge.

The day before cooking, prepare and combine all studding ingredients, except onions, celery and liquis. Put dry stuffing ingredients in plastic bag, close and leave at room temperature. When ready to stuff, prepare and add onion, celery and liquids to stuffing. Remove bird from fridge. Pack stffing into nect and body cavities lightly, then truss and stuff. Start roasting immediately (if refridgerated, warm to room temperature for 2 hours). Fold enough cheesecloth 4 times to cover bird completely. Dip folded cloth into melted shortening and lay over bird. Place bird on rack, breast-side down in a pan large enough for bird to fit in comfortably; one too large lets juice spread out over exposed pan to burn and give gravy a scorched flavour; on too small lets juice drip into oven to burn.

Roast according to chart:

Weight ready for oven	Oven Temperature	Cooking time (min per pound)	Total cooking time
8-10 lb	325 oF	25-20	3-3.5 hours
10-14 lb	325 oF	20-18	3.5-4 hours
14-18 lb	300 oF	18-15	4-4.5 hours
18 lb	300 oF	15-13	4.5-5 hours
20 lb	300 oF	15-13	5-6 hours

Baste with 1/2 cup rendered turkey fat or butter and 1/2 cup hot water. When cooking time is half gone, turn bird on back, rearrange cheesecloth to cover well and baste again. To baste, remove turkey to top of stove, closing oven so it won't cool. Sopon basting liquid over cloth to coat skin of bird. Return to oven. Repeat basting every 20 minutes. Cover breast and thighs browing too fast with alumimum foil. To baste, lift foil then replace. When done, lift bird to hot platter; cover to keep hot while making gravy. To serve, remove trussing cords neatly. Garnish platter simply with loose bouquets of crips parsley leaving enough room for carver.