TurkeyRecipe

I was asked for my turkey recipe a little while ago, and here it is, as near as I can remember. The kids say it�s the perfect turkey, but we all know who the REAL perfect turkey is around here!

Anyway, my method is very unusual but unbeatable. Any perfect turkey would agree.

First, start with a preferably fresh turkey, minimally processed. (Very important, this processing, or lack thereof.) If the poor soul is frozen, thaw in the refrigerator. This may take anywhere from four hours to four days, depending on the size of your turkey � or your refrigerator!

Rinse your bird inside and out. Do not stuff. Oil the bird inside and out. Regular salad oil is fine, but take the phone off the hook, before you begin massaging, or you will have a devil of a time with the next three calls or so!

Now the daring part: On a roasting rack in a large turkey pan, place the turkey breast side down, backside up in the exact middle of the pan. This is really a much more dignified position for a turkey than the traditional position of insolvency insisted upon by so many. Plus, it eliminates the need and seriously impairs the ability to baste � quite a boon to all of us time-starved cooks.

Place turkey in the oven. Close the oven door. Roast at 250 degrees (you heard me � two hundred fifty degrees) for half an hour per pound. Trust me. Yes, your turkey will cook. Your turkey will brown.

Wild, huh? This cooking time works great for birds up to 16 lbs. I�ve found that the bigger the turkey, the less cooking time it needs. I did a 25-pound job in eight hours, which may be the top end time-wise for giants. To be on the safe side, use a meat thermometer and cook the poor dear until the internal temperature is 180 degrees (or the juices run clear when stabbed in the thigh with a knitting needle). If your turkey is done hours early, don't despair; a huge bird stays hot longer while you are waiting for your guests to arrive!

I hope I haven�t left anything out, except of course the stuffing. I�ve found that stuffing a turkey may do wonders for creating moist, juicy stuffing, but this has the direct opposite effect on the turkey. It seems to suck the juice right out. And the whole point of roasting a turkey this way is to end up with the juiciest turkey you�ve ever eaten.

Oh � one other little hint: I usually pour a cup or two of water into the roasting pan while the turkey is cooking. I don�t know whether this makes a bit of difference to the turkey (after all, let�s face it, he�s DEAD), but it sure makes cleaning the pan a lot easier.

And there you have it � Anne Robinson�s unforgettable upside-down turkey. He�s cooked right side-up, turkey wise, but you can carve him upside-down. Or sideways!