Defrost frozen turkeys fully

Frozen turkeys are cheaper to buy and more readily available but take extra work to prepare. You need to ensure that the turkey is completely defrosted before you start cooking. You should allow 24 hours for every 4 to 5 lbs of turkey. You can either defrost on the bottom shelf of a fridge or submerge it in cold water. Or do a combination of the two.

Make sure there are no ice crystals inside the bird and that the body is soft.

Remove the giblets

You need to put your hand inside the turkey to remove all the giblets from the body.

Calculate cooking time

You will need to roast the turkey for 40 minutes per kilogram, allowing an extra 10 minutes for every ¼ of a kilogram. It should be cook at 190 ̊C. If you are stuffing your turkey allow for the extra weight once this has been added.

Leave at room temperature overnight

Late on Christmas Eve you should take your turkey out of the fridge so it can sit at room temperature ready for cooking.

Preheat oven

Before you start cooking the turkey you should pre-heat your oven to 190 ̊C.