Making Tuesday Tasty-High Heat Turkey

It's November so I'm gonna start things out right! A classic Turkey prepared and cooked on high heat. Whenever I cook poultry on high heat it turns out succulent and delicious. As long as you cover it properly in the beginning, make sure there's water at bottom of the pan and, and let it rest, you're going to have one beautiful bird! Not to mention shaving off precious time in the cooking process.

Ingredients

16-18 lbs fresh whole turkey

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh black pepper, to taste

3 cups as needed chicken broth

Directions
1. Dry a 16 to 18 lb. turkey inside and out with paper towels.

2. Oil the turkey inside and out with any kind of vegetable oil (olive, canola, etc.) using your hands.
3. Cut away any excess skin around the opening of the cavity and wedge a fork inside the cavity to open it further. Leave the fork in to keep cavity open.

4. Rub spices, herbs, or just pepper all over the bird with your oily fingers.

5. Place the turkey, breast side down on a rack in a large metal roasting pan.

6. Cover the top of the turkey, including legs and wings with greased foil.

7. Pour ¾-inch of chicken or turkey broth in the bottom of the pan. As the turkey cooks, check the liquid every 45 minutes and add more in case it evaporates.

8. Cook the turkey at 500° to 525° for 2 hours.

9. Remove foil, stuff the turkey with cooked stuffing and return it to the rack breast side up.

10. Cook the turkey 30 to 45 minutes longer until an instant-read thermometer stuck deep in the thigh reads 175°.

11. Let the turkey rest at least 20 minutes, this allows the meat to reabsorb its juices.

Suggestions to go along with this cooking process. If you salt or over salt you will be taking the juices from the bird. Find a large enough pan to fit the bird in and put it on a rack so it's not "stewing". Allow the heated air to flow around the bird and cook it properly. Don't baste the bird because it breaks down the lovely caramelization on the bird as well as uses up the pan juices that would be later used for gravy. Don't cover with cheesecloth because it prevents browning and color to the bird.

**This recipe I've used is taken courtesy of Recipezaar/kiwidutch. Photo courtesy of Recipezaar**