Your altitude won't affect the roasting time. If you are cooking it tomorrow and it's partially frozen today I wouldn't do any water bath today...put it back into the refrig, and get it out tomorrow morning. Allow 2 hours from into the oven to starting to carve it...perhaps 2 hours and 10 minutes. You will be fine with the apple and onion inside....that's not stuffing that has to get to a high heat to be safe....but frankly I would use an onion and lemon instead.... As for how long to leave it at room temperature before putting it into the oven...don't let it get warm...it should still feel cold to the touch...if it feels less that quite cool get it back into the frig. Room temperature makes for a shorter roasting time....but a safe to eat bird is better! Better to err on the side of putting too cold a bird into the oven than to have one that has begun to grow bad stuff. The resting time for a turkey, tented under foil and covered with a couple of towels can be as long as an hour....so get the bird done then worry about the rest of the dinner. Linda C

"While water won't get hotter than 212 (at standard temperature and pressure) I don't believe there's anything preventing steam from getting hotter. Using a similar roasting pan and a cucumber to approximate the chicken, oil in a pan easily got hotter than 212: Even taking it to the extreme and "steaming" the oil, it got hotter than 212" Here's how I believe if works. Sorry if I'm overlapping w/ dcarch's posts, or repeating myself. - Steam can get hotter than 212F if it is under pressure higher than standard sea-level atmospheric (14.7PSI). The link gives the temp-pressure relationship. - Since the pot is not a pressure cooker, the pressure inside is not much above 14.7PSI and the steam in the covered pot is not much above 212F. - The atmosphere in the covered pot is a combination of steam and air. Unlike steam, air can be hotter than 212F even at 14.7PSI. Since the steam and the air are mixing, the atmosphere's temperature will be somewhere between the steam temperature (appx 212F) and the air temp (hotter). - Early in the cooking process, there is lots of steam in the covered pot, so the pot's atmosphere's temperature is close to 212F. During this time, the chicken is being moist-cooked at low temperature. - If you keep cooking and boiling off the liquid in the pot, turning it into steam that escapes through the vent or around the lid, the atmosphere inside the pot will beome drier (less steam) and hotter (closer to the air temperature). Eventually, if you boil the pot dry enough, the atmosphere in the pot can come close enough to the oven's temperature (400F, let's say), and the chicken will start to roast and brown. - But the chicken has lots of internal liquid. If that liquid is dripping and boiling into steam, as is pretty much bound to happen, it has to be dried out too. So if you did want to get a chicken in a covered pot to the same degree of all-over brown as an uncovered chicken, the covered chicken could be a bit more dried out. I'm not sure, have never compared them side-by-side. - Using oil as a comparison doesn't work because oil does not boil at 212F like water, so it can be heated up way past 212F. Vegetable oil starts to smoke around 500F (soybean, safflower, etc - olive is much lower, like 375F). The oil's boiling point is well above that (around 570F for soybean). And above that, somewhere around 600F, is the oil's flash point and around 700F the oil will ignite. Most of us have never seen ''boiling'' oil, and hopefully we never will because it is dangerous. - I believe this is why it took laurie_2008 so long to roast the turkey. The liquid in the turkey and whatever else was in the pot (veg? stuffing?) had to boil off. Until that happened, the turkey was cooking at not much above 212F, which is of course an awfully low temperature. Here is a link that might be useful: Steam Temp-Pressure

I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to seasoning roast turkey or chicken. Up until last year I brined. But switched to presalting using the presalting method of Judy Rogers (Zuni Cafe). I presalt almost all the meats I roast now. It makes for the most succulent, moist turkey, chicken, pork, etc.... Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Pre-Salting =========== Judy Rogers' Zuni Cafe method Servings: 11 to 15 Note: This is more a technique than a recipe. It makes a bird that has concentrated turkey flavor and fine, firm flesh and that is delicious as it is. But you can add other flavors as you wish. Minced rosemary would be a nice finishing addition. Or brush the bird lightly with butter before roasting. ADVERTISEMENT 1 (12- to 16-pound) turkey Kosher salt 1. Wash the turkey inside and out, pat it dry and weigh it. Measure 1 tablespoon of salt into a bowl for every 5 pounds the turkey weighs (for a 15-pound turkey, you'd have 3 tablespoons). 2. Sprinkle the inside of the turkey lightly with salt. Place the turkey on its back and salt the breasts, concentrating the salt in the center, where the meat is thickest. You'll probably use a little more than a tablespoon. It should look liberally seasoned, but not over-salted. 3. Turn the turkey on one side and sprinkle the entire side with salt, concentrating on the thigh. You should use a little less than a tablespoon. Flip the turkey over and do the same with the opposite side. 4. Place the turkey in a 2 1/2 -gallon sealable plastic bag, press out the air and seal tightly. Place the turkey breast-side up in the refrigerator. Chill for 3 days, turning it onto its breast for the last day. 5. Remove the turkey from the bag. There should be no salt visible on the surface and the skin should be moist but not wet. Place the turkey breast-side up on a plate and refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours. 6. On the day it is to be cooked, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 7. Place the turkey breast-side down on a roasting rack in a roasting pan; put it in the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and carefully turn the turkey over so the breast is facing up (it's easiest to do this by hand, using kitchen towels or oven mitts). 8. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, return the turkey to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh, but not touching the bone, reads 165 degrees, about 2 3/4 hours total roasting. 9. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer it to a warm platter or carving board; tent loosely with foil. Let stand at least 30 minutes to let the juices redistribute through the meat. Carve and serve. Each of 15 servings: 564 calories; 77 grams protein; 0 carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 26 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 261 mg. cholesterol; 856 mg. sodium. . Notes: This same method can be used for chicken, chicken pieces, pork roasts, ribs, chops, etc.. With the smaller cuts just pre-salt 4 or five hours in advance. Even this short period of presalting makes an amazing difference. Don't cover, just refrigerate and then remove from the fridge in time for the meat to come to room temperature before cooking.

I have posted this recipe several times in the past few years during the holidays. I thought I would share it again as an alternative to the traditional 'stuffing'. It has become a favorite. It would be very easy to adapt to a larger turkey. The stuffing is healthy and delicious. Very good as leftovers also. Turkey Roulade with Apple-Cider Gravy by Ellie Krieger This golden brown turkey breast, excerpted from the cookbook The Food You Crave, has a moist pecan-and-cranberry-studded stuffing rolled inside. Relish in the "oohs" and "aahhs" as you reveal the beautiful spiral intertwining of tender turkey and savory stuffing. For more turkey recipes visit The Guide to Thanksgiving Dinner. Serves 6 Ingredients turkey chicken broth apple cider One 2-1/2-pound boneless turkey breast half, skin removed and butterflied 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 5 slices day-old whole-wheat bread, crusts removed and cubed (about 2-1/2 cups) 1 medium onion, diced (about 1-1/2 cups), plus 1 cup onion thinly sliced into half-moons 1 cup apple cider 2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons) 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries 1/3 cup chopped pecans 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or 3 teaspoons dried, crumbled 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste Kitchen twine Place the turkey breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound lightly with a meat mallet to an even thickness of about 3/4 inch. Set aside while you prepare the stuffing. Toast the pecans in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes; set aside. Preheat the oven to 375�F. Place the cranberries in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat, drain, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring, until golden but not blackened, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bread, cranberries, pecans, 2 tablespoons of the fresh or 2 teaspoons of the dried sage, and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the broth, depending upon the consistency of the stuffing (you want the mixture to be moistened, but not too wet, since the turkey will release moisture when cooked). Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over both sides of the turkey breast. Spread the stuffing over one side of the turkey, leaving about 1-1/2 to 2 inches uncovered on all sides. Roll up and secure tightly with kitchen twine, trying to keep all the stuffing intact. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven or medium roasting pan over medium heat until hot. Sear the stuffed turkey breast on all sides until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Sprinkle the sliced onion around the turkey, pour in 1-1/2 cups of the broth, cover tightly and roast in the oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165�F, 60 to 65 minutes. Remove the turkey breast from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest while you make the gravy. Add the cider, 1/2 cup of the broth, the vinegar, and the remaining 2 teaspoons fresh or 1 teaspoon dried sage to the roasting pan, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly, and cook for 3 minutes more. The gravy should not be thick, just slightly thicker than a jus. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the twine from the turkey breast and cut into 1-1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with the gravy on the side in a gravy boat. nutrition information (per serving): Calories (kcal): 400; Fat (g): 12; Fat Calories (kcal): 108; Saturated Fat (g): 1.5; Protein (g): 50; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 6; Carbohydrates (g): 24; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3.5; Sodium (mg): 371; Cholesterol (mg): 117; Fiber (g): 2; photo: Christopher Hirsheimer From Book The Food You Crave , pp. 220-221 November 19, 2010 Here is a link that might be useful: Ellie Kreiger's Stuffed Turkey Breast