This mouth-wateringly tasty traditional roast turkey is just like your grandmother used to make. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, and generously basted with turkey stock, the flavours of the turkey really stand out. Stuff with your favourite dressing. Great to impress friends and family at any time of the year!
Ingredients
- 10 oz (280 g) of salt
- 8 litres (14 pints) of cold tap water
- 11 Ib (1 x 5 kg) whole fresh turkey
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup (120 ml) butter, slightly warmed and softened
- 2½ pints (1.5 L) turkey stock (chicken stock is a good substitute if not available)
- 1 lemon, scrubbed clean, dried and halved
- 2 packs of Pork stuffing mix
How to Make It
- The day before roasting, fill a clean bucket (large enough to take the whole turkey) with approximately 8 litres of cool tap water and mix well with 10 oz salt. Submerge the turkey in the water. Cover with a cloth and leave stored at room temperature overnight.
- The following day drain the salt water mix and set aside the turkey.
- Preheat oven to 160C (300F). Place the rack in the lower position of the oven.
- Remove the giblets and neck, rinse the turkey, and dab dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, on a rack or trivet in the roasting pan. Loose fill the body cavity with a pork stuffing mix and the two lemon halves. Rub the skin with the softened butter then season with sea salt and pepper. Cover the turkey in the roasting tray with an aluminium foil canopy formed and sealed over the turkey.
- Place the turkey in the oven and add 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices from the bottom of the tray. If the liquid evaporates, add more stock to retain moisture at about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminium foil after 2½ hours. Then roast) for a further 1 to 1½ hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 75C (165F) .
- Transfer the turkey to a large serving dish and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. Serve immediately with your choice of vegetables.