Most of our recipes are based on the “Foil Wrapped Method” of preparing and roasting a Turkey.
Wrapping and cooking the entire turkey in aluminum foil requires increased oven temperature to ensure a completely cooked turkey. Preheating the oven to 450°F actually steams the turkey in its own juices. It produces a moist bird with a light golden, non-crisp skin. The cooking time is reduced due to higher temperatures and the trapped steam inside the foil.
Single Foil Sheet Directions:
Aluminum foil comes in two convenient sizes. The most common is a sheet 12″ wide. The larger size is 18″ wide. We use the 18″ wide for our turkey wrap.
Tear off two pieces of 18 inch wide heavy-duty aluminum foil that are 2 times longer than the turkey. Lay one sheet on a suitable working surface larger than the foil. Place this second sheet on top of the first, aligning the long edges. Make a fold of both sheets about 1/4″ wide the entire length of the long side. Fold over and additional 1/4″ to make a long seam. Be sure to tightly crease the foil with your finger or a smooth wooden spoon to seal the two sheets together. Fold that 1/4″ seam in half, lengthwise to make a liquid-tight seam. Open the two sheets like butterfly wings. You now have a very large sheet of aluminum foil with a seam down the centerline.
Spray a vegetable cooking oil, such as PAM®, along the center seam, and about a hand’s width on either side where the foil will touch the turkey.
To Use:
Place a Turkey String Lift along the centerline. Place the turkey lengthwise in the middle of the Single Foil Sheet on top of the String Lift, breast side up. Bring the foil sides up and crimp over the turkey. Fold the ends closed and bring ends up overlapping the turkey. (Optional before cooking) Insert a meat thermometer through the foil into the thickest part of the breast.
Place foil-wrapped turkey in a shallow roasting pan and place pan in a preheated 450°F. oven.
A 14 pound stuffed turkey will take less than 3 hours to be fully cooked by this method.
To brown turkey: open foil during last 20-30 minutes of cooking.
Roast until meat thermometer inserted in the innermost part of the thigh reads 165°F. Check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast and the wing as well. Temperature in all areas should be 165°F or higher.
Broth may accumulate in the foil during cooking. Reserve this flavorful broth for moistening stuffing or for making giblet gravy. Cooking time can be reduced by as much as 30 minutes to an hour compared to traditional roasting timetable.