<p>Some friends and I (here in London) are getting together to cook Thanksgiving dinner next week. We do have an experienced cook in our group, so we’re going to attempt this daring feat.</p>
<p>I was wondering if the parents of CC had any recipes they’d like to share? I know there are websites dedicated to Thanksgiving recipes, but I feel as if the tried-and-true are best… any suggestions?</p>
<p>Here is my tried and true tip for cooking a turkey. Follow the cooking directions on the outside of the wrapper (time/lb. and temperature, and don’t forget to remove giblets. Wash the bird. I love rosemary, so I get as much rosemary as possbible on the outside of the bird. I moisten the skin with olive oil, and then season with salt, pepper, and onion powder. I don’t stuff the bird with stuffing (this can be unhealthy). You can make your stuffing seperately. Go to the Thanksgiving thread here for more recipes including one that I requested for stuffing. I do put an orange in the center. I put the bird breast side up on a rack (maybe an inch off the bottom or a roasting pan). Now here is my trick: I put a couple of cups of water on the bottom of the roasting pan (I eyeball this), and then cover the whole bird and the top or the roasting pan with foil. Before I cover in foil, I do cover the legs and wings with their own foil and I don’t bother tying the legs. I do this so that they don’t burn on me, because legs and wings cook much faster than the rest of a trukey. If you cover the bird this way you really don’t need to baste the bird. Part way through cooking just make sure that most of water has not evaporated. I usually add another cup of water to the bottom of the pan. It has not failed me yet, and I have made many turkeys over the last 20+ years. Get a thermometer and make sure that the internal temperature of your bird has reached the appropriate temp. for poultry. You don’t want food poisoning! Remember to remove the bird and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. BTW, while resting the bird continues to cook outside the oven.</p>