“Its In the Bag” Roast Turkey Recipe

because some of you asked...

Turkey (fresh or thawed) 16 to 18 pounds

1 Medium peeled onion

1 Medium unpeeled washed apple

1 stick butter/margarine

scant salt and pepper to taste

1 2 liter ginger ale

1 heavy brown paper grocery bag

roasting pan

Preparation: Fresh turkeys should remain refrigerated until preparation time, and frozen turkeys should be thawed in the refrigerator taking up to three days, so plan ahead. The metal binding that keeps the turkey legs together is MUCH easier to remove when the turkey is thawed. Rinse the turkey inside and out and remove the giblet package. Use the stick of butter/margarine so the short, snub end is touching the bird, rub the stick all over the outside using most of the stick discarding the rest.

Placing the bird BREAST SIDE DOWN (chubby part on the bottom), place the onion and apple inside the bird. Unwrap the giblets and put them inside the bird also. Then put the upside down bird in the brown paper bag, wrap the leg ends with foil and place it all in the roaster. Pour 1/2 the ginger ale over the bird and close the bag loosely by rolling the open edges together.

Cooking: Roast in a preheated 375 degree oven a total of 7 hours which means if it goes in at 8:00 A.M., it should be ready around 3:00 P.M. . (Ovens vary: learn yours!) The brown bag WILL NOT catch fire, but will become brittle so use care when reopening it. At the 3 hour mark, slide the bird carefully half way out of the oven, open the bag, pour the rest of the ginger ale on it, close the bag and return it to the oven.

At the 6 and ½ hour mark, slide the bird half way out of the oven again, rip the bag down the center to allow the bird to really brown up if desired and return it to the oven. At 7 hours, remove the bird and let it sit and rest for 20 minutes. Then attempt to remove the onion and apple (they may be cooked away), lift the turkey and flip it over onto your serving platter. Do not be alarmed if its so done and ready that it falls apart into big, juicy servings without any carving necessary.