Roast turkey is a tasty and affordable meal at any time of year, not just Thanksgiving. Turkeys keep for an indefinite time in your freezer, although they taste best if you use them within a year. It's easy to thaw one in your microwave as long as you cook it immediately afterward. Cooking the bird in a Nesco 18-quart roaster is convenient, because you can check its progress without having to pull a heavy roaster out of your oven.
Step 1
Preheat the roaster to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the porcelain enamel pan, or "cookwell," into the roaster and place the cover on the roaster.
Step 2
Set the cooking temperature to the lowest setting and plug the cord into an electrical outlet.
Step 3
Turn the temperature control to 400 degrees and preheat for 20 minutes.
Step 4
Put the turkey on the rack.
Step 5
Mix the melted margarine with the browning sauce and apply the mixture to the turkey with a pastry brush.
Step 6
Dust the turkey with the parsley, poultry seasoning and paprika.
Step 7
Using potholders, lift the rack and set the turkey in the roaster.
Step 8
Roast the turkey at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the first hour.
Step 9
Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.
Step 10
Continue roasting the turkey, allowing 13 to 18 minutes per pound, until its temperature reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer.
Step 11
Turn the temperature control to its lowest setting and unplug the roaster.
Step 12
Remove the cover and use potholders to lift the turkey and the rack from the roaster.
Tips and Warnings
- Add 30 minutes to the cooking time for a stuffed turkey. If you're not ready to serve the turkey when it's finished roasting, keep it in the roaster and set the temperature control at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. For self-basting turkeys, turn the roaster off when the turkey is within one hour of being done. Remove the turkey from the roaster, pour out the juices and return it to the roaster. Set the temperature control at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the last hour of cooking.
- Never put food directly into the roaster, or "heatwell." Use the porcelain enamel pan, or "cookwell." Always cover the roaster when cooking.
Things You'll Need
- Turkey, fresh, thawed, self-basting or pre-basted 10 to 20 pounds
- Rack
- 1/4 cup oil or melted margarine
- 2 tsp. browning sauce
- Pastry brush
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp. paprika
- Potholders
- Meat thermometer
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