Chef Penny Moline shows you how anyone can cook with passion! Keep it simple, Keep it fresh, Keep it safe. And share it with someone you love!

 FIRST:  Read how to thaw your turkey.

After your turkey is thawed and clean....

Please....Please.... Please... don't put your dressing/stuffing inside your turkey.  It is a recognized health haszard, and you have to BE SURE that the stuffing has come to the tempature of 165 degrees.  You run the risk of making your friends and family sick.... so do your stuffing as a side dish!    What ever you put into the cavities of your turkey...is for flavor....not to be consumed....sorry.

This is my method for making a turkey that is beautiful.... 

First I preheat my oven to 325 degrees.  Instead of putting stuffing inside my bird, I like to use fruit and herbs....for a 20 pound turkey use about 4 washed oranges that you zest, then cut into rounds...add herbs like sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley.. that are fresh, and washed....add with the oranges into the cavities of the turkey.  Melt some butter, you won't need too much about 1 to 2 sticks of butter which you then add the zest of the orange to it.  Spread with a brush over your turkey, then season with salt, pepper, paparika, and some fresh cut herbs.  Place the Turkey in your roasting pan that has long sticks of celery, and carrots with a rough dice of yellow onion this combination is called a mirepoix.  It is usally 50 percent onions, 25 percent carrots and 25 percent celery.  Place the turkey on top of the mirepoix. Bake the turkey coverd with foil or the lid of a roasting pan.  I take the foil or lid off the last hour of cooking to be sure that it is nice and golden.
The only way to be sure that your turkey is fully cooked is to use a quality meat thermometer.  Please cook your turkey to 165-170 degrees.  Make sure you LET THE TURKEY REST at least 15 to 20 minutes before carving it...this is the perfect time to make your gravy from the dripping of the turkey. 

Guide lines time to cook your turkey is about 15 to 20 minutes per pound of turkey. 

You can also stuff your turkey with apples and cranberries, or lemon and thyme, apricots and lemon zest...it is beautiful to glaze a turkey with apricot jam and if you would like a touch of horseradish.... Tangerines and sage.with.... orange marmalde as a glaze...outstanding!!! 

I live in Utah....at a high altitude...things take longer to cook.  So all times can vary.  When my students ask me how long something has to cook...my reply is alway "until it is done".  So please cook your turkey until it has an internal tempature of 165 to 180 degree... and most important... have a Happy Thanksgiving! or Christmas, or whenever you are enjoying a turkey... and share it with people you love.

 FIRST:  Read how to thaw your turkey.

After your turkey is thawed and clean....

Please....Please.... Please... don't put your dressing/stuffing inside your turkey.  It is a recognized health haszard, and you have to BE SURE that the stuffing has come to the tempature of 165 degrees.  You run the risk of making your friends and family sick.... so do your stuffing as a side dish!    What ever you put into the cavities of your turkey...is for flavor....not to be consumed....sorry.

This is my method for making a turkey that is beautiful.... 

First I preheat my oven to 325 degrees.  Instead of putting stuffing inside my bird, I like to use fruit and herbs....for a 20 pound turkey use about 4 washed oranges that you zest, then cut into rounds...add herbs like sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley.. that are fresh, and washed....add with the oranges into the cavities of the turkey.  Melt some butter, you won't need too much about 1 to 2 sticks of butter which you then add the zest of the orange to it.  Spread with a brush over your turkey, then season with salt, pepper, paparika, and some fresh cut herbs.  Place the Turkey in your roasting pan that has long sticks of celery, and carrots with a rough dice of yellow onion this combination is called a mirepoix.  It is usally 50 percent onions, 25 percent carrots and 25 percent celery.  Place the turkey on top of the mirepoix. Bake the turkey coverd with foil or the lid of a roasting pan.  I take the foil or lid off the last hour of cooking to be sure that it is nice and golden.
The only way to be sure that your turkey is fully cooked is to use a quality meat thermometer.  Please cook your turkey to 165-170 degrees.  Make sure you LET THE TURKEY REST at least 15 to 20 minutes before carving it...this is the perfect time to make your gravy from the dripping of the turkey. 

Guide lines time to cook your turkey is about 15 to 20 minutes per pound of turkey. 

You can also stuff your turkey with apples and cranberries, or lemon and thyme, apricots and lemon zest...it is beautiful to glaze a turkey with apricot jam and if you would like a touch of horseradish.... Tangerines and sage.with.... orange marmalde as a glaze...outstanding!!! 

I live in Utah....at a high altitude...things take longer to cook.  So all times can vary.  When my students ask me how long something has to cook...my reply is alway "until it is done".  So please cook your turkey until it has an internal tempature of 165 to 180 degree... and most important... have a Happy Thanksgiving! or Christmas, or whenever you are enjoying a turkey... and share it with people you love.