Instructions: Ensure a moist and juicy turkey by placing a tray of water in the oven throughout the roasting process. Occasionally check and refill the tray.

Brush the outside of the bird with clarified butter to compensate for the lack of natural fat in turkeys.

You can heat (not boil) 1 cup of white wine (Chardonnay) or a pint of Guinness. Pour it over the turkey after 1 hour of roasting. This makes great gravy: use the drippings as your gravy base.

Try basting the turkey with honey the last 10 to 15 minutes of the roast, not only does this taste great and help to seal in the flavor, but it also adds a beautiful glaze to the bird.

After cooking the bird, remove it from the oven, cover it in foil and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before carving so that the bird can reabsorb the juices

Stuffing Tips

Stuffing a bird adds flavor, helps keep it juicy, and provides a super side dish. When stuffing the bird, fill both the neck and body cavities. Also consider separating the skin from the breast with your fingers and place a thin layer of stuffing between the skin and the breast.

Select your stuffing seasonings: Good seasonings for your stuffing include sage, savory, rosemary, thyme, freshly ground pepper, oregano, marjoram, or Lowrys Seasoning Salt. Season to taste.

Select your stuffing vegetables: Good vegetables include: onion, celery

(leaves included), parsley. Finely chop all. Saute in butter.

When making your stuffing, consider replacing 1 cup of water with 1 cup of white wine (Chardonnay is preferable) for a nice, noticeable zing.

As an alternative, consider using one cup of gravy, chicken stock, or onion soup mix as a substitute for a cup of water for a more deep, rich tasting stuffing.

Once your vegetables are sauteed, add the water / wine / gravy / chicken stock. Bring the mix to a boil and add sage, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour over top of bread cubes / stuffing mix. Toss mixture.

Stuff your turkey. If you dont stuff your bird with stuffing, at least rub the body cavity with bay leaves, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper.

Tom Clary suggests that for an extra tasty stuffing variation consider adding ground pork sausage. Mix 1 pound of browned and chopped sausage (for an average bird) to the basic stuffing mix. Pour the sausage grease onto the turkey right before it is done roasting. This will make a super crispy skin.

Bake all leftover stuffing in a covered greased dish at 325 Degrees for the last 30 - 45 minutes. Pour some of the pan drippings onto your stuffing casserole while it is cooking in the oven.

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