I must say I was very pleased with my turkey this year! It came out of the oven nicely browned, very tender and moist – and most of it soon disappeared! Since there were only 5 of us I chose a small bird, about 15 pounds. In the preceding years I’ve tried several different roasting pans, but always come back to the simple pan that is included when you buy your stove! With the entire turkey being on top of the pan – rather than several inches deep in the pan – every part browns evenly.
My turkey thawed in the refrigerator for 5 days – and by Saturday it was easy to remove the neck and giblets and prepare for cooking! A small handful of sea salt was rubbed inside the turkey. To keep the turkey moist and flavorful I cut a lemon and a large orange into wedges and inserted in the turkey cavity, along with three large sprigs of fresh rosemary. A stick of butter was melted in the microwave, allowed to cool a bit, and liberally brushed all over the outside of the turkey. A sprinkle of black pepper and sea salt and the turkey was ready to go into a 325 degree oven. I cooked my turkey for about 4 1/2 hours – the last half hour or so with dressing and other vegetables also in the oven.
Every 45 minutes I basted the bird with more butter. When done, I let the turkey rest for about 20 minutes or so before carving. The drumsticks and wings were so tender I almost didn’t need a knife! The carving was soon finished and all dishes were ready for the feast! It was time to sit down with my family and be thankful for our many blessings! My wish for all of you is a Happy Thanksgiving with those you love! Enjoy!
foodflowersherbsandlife 
Beautifully done, Phyllis, and the perfect “centerpiece” for your holiday feast! Yes, roasting it on top of a pan paid off but one can tell that you basted that bird on schedule, without fail. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks, John! A labor of love for my family! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
That does look perfect and it’s good to know that pan works. I always like the ones with a lifter rack, or whatever it’s called. Isn’t it funny that 15 is pretty much the smallest bird you can find…
Especially today with small families, you would think small turkeys would be available! I suppose most will be part of a bigger dinner party! Sunday we will celebrate with my mom and my sisters! Donna is bringing one of her fresh turkeys! She named him Thanksgiving!
A beautiful bird if I ever saw one!
Looks like your small celebration was a success – in spite of Dramatic Daughter Syndrome! Wishing you a wonderful day with the extended family tomrrow!
It was a great time! And even though I tried to fix for five – there were plenty of leftovers! A happy Kate took most of them home with her!
It looks super delicious! I wish we could have been there!
Oh, honey, we wish you could have been here with us, too! Just wait till Christmas! I’m already planning the food!
Looks like a beautiful bird and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you!
It was good all the way to the turkey chili I made tonight! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
Yumm…she looks beautiful! I’ve learned a new tip using the broiler pan! I would never have thought of that! I have a secret to tell tho, I use a roaster, plugged in on my patio outside as I just can’t heat up my Florida kitchen for hours!! Like your broiler pan method tho, the entire bird is roasting from all sides!
I can understand why you choose not to use the oven! We don’t have that problem, of course! As long as the turkey turns out tender and good it doesn’t matter how we cook it!