How long will it take depends on who you ask. I roast following Barbara Kafka's high heat method and having been using this method for over 10 years. So a turkey is never in the oven here for 5 hours or more. A 20 pound stuffed turkey will be done in 3.5 hours. Since you are picking up your turkey on Friday, you might also give Judy Roger's pre-salt method a try. Although normally I would presalted Thursday for roasting on Sunday. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Simple Roast Turkey - High Heat Method ====================================== Source:Barbara Kafka Roasting A Simple Art Many Thanksgivings at my house have proved the high-heat method to be ideal. A fifteen-pound turkey at room temperature takes two hours to roast. However, it may take several hours for the turkey to reach room temperature. While the turkey is sitting out, cover it loosely with a towel, otherwise the skin will dry out. I prefer a fifteen-pound turkey as it isn't too heavy for me to handle. It usually gives lots of good leftovers and is generally available. There are certain things to think of to ensure success before beginning: Remove the giblet bag from the interior of the bird. Remove the wing tips. Put everything except the livers into a pot and start Basic Fowl Giblet Gravy. By the time the bird is roasted, the gravy will be done. Use the liver in the dressing/stuffing or store in the freezer, covered with milk. Make sure there is a pan big enough for the turkey without it's touching the sides of the pan. Do not truss. Consider whether the bird should be stuffed or the stuffing served as dressing baked separately. If stuffing, think in terms of twelve cups of stuffing for a 15 pound bird, which will allow the big cavity to be stuffed and some more stuffing to be crammed under the skin flap at the neck. I seldom stuff because there are real food safety questions about the bird and its stuffing sitting out at room temperature. The oven must be very clean before roasting, or cooking at this high temperature will cause unpleasant smoke. In any case, there will be some smoke, so turn on the fan or open a window. Don't put the oven rack too high or the skin on the breast will get over cooked. For a twenty-pound turkey, the rack should be in the lowest position. Always put the turkey in legs first - dark meat takes longer to cook and the rear of the oven is the hottest area. If the top skin seems to be getting too dark, slip a doubled piece of aluminum foil on top of it. Don't move the turkey. Use an oven mitt to protect hands and forearms. Remove the foil with the same oven mitt ten minutes before the turkey comes out. Large turkeys are most easily removed from the pan by holding them with two pot holders, which will need to be washed. After the meal, get out a large stockpot to boil up the carcass and leftover bones for turkey soup and stock. 15 pound turkey, thawed, if necessary and at room temperature, wing tips removed, reserving giblets and neck for gravy, liver for stuffing. Fresh ground black pepper to taste 1 cup water or basic turkey/chicken stock . Place oven rack on second level from bottom of oven. Heat oven to 500F. Rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat dry. Sprinkle the outside with pepper. If stuffing, stuff cavity and crop, securing openings with long metal skewers. Lace them. Do not truss. Put turkey in an 18 X 13 X2 inch roasting pan, breast side up. Put in oven legs first. Roast until the leg joint near the backbone wiggles easily, about 2 hours. After 20 minutes, move the turkey around with a wooden spatula to keep from sticking. Remove the turkey to a large platter. Let sit 20 minutes before carving. Pour off grease from roasting pan and put pan on top of the stove. Add water or stock. Bring to a boil while scraping bottom of pan vigorously with a wooden spoon, loosening all the crisp bits in the bottom of the pan. These add intensity to the gravy. Let reduce by half. Serve on the side in a sauceboat or add to giblet gravy. 9 pounds stuffed 1 hour 45 minutes unstuffed 1 hour 15 minutes 12 pounds stuffed 1 hour 50 minutes unstuffed 1 hour 20 minutes 15 pounds stuffed 2 hours 30 minutes unstuffed 2 hours 20 pounds stuffed 3 hours 30 minutes unstuffed 3 hours 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.

Happy Thanksgiving Canada! We aim for half an hour. Up to an hour would be fine usually but room temp and other factors come into play. The time it is sitting out during the meal, etc. Often some elders are present and young children...the kitchen is active and warm, more room heat may be used so guests are comfortable. The fridge is stuffed and opened often rising its temp. The danger zone of 40-140 for bacteria growth is hard to keep track of. A half hour is plenty time for a gravy and getting a crowd to sit, and getting sides on the table. The first thing i do when i have guests for the day or a few days is lower the fridge temp. My fridge has a 'blast' button for the fridge and freezer. Used when you can predict heavy use. Our turkey is good, organic, cooked properly, but not really the star of the show. Tradition for sure, but the sides are what everyone wants. And leftovers. (i make thanksgiving sliders with the leftover biscuits) We platter up but the oven stays on for seconds if needed. All sides stay in the 275 oven. A carved platter of turkey, with both legs, the other breast side goes in the fridge right away to chill. The carcass goes right back in the oven to pick later and roast for stock and soup. A good rule is to keep it hot, or chill quickly and keep it cold. Here is a link that might be useful: shelf life advice

Garbage man took the turkey today - It's gone and I'm over it! Teresa - Butterflying the chicken is simple. Just take some shears and cut along both sides of the back bone to remove it. Flip it over, push down hard in the middle of the breast till it cracks and lays flat. Lay it on a broiler rack and pull up the legs to rest between the thigh and the breast. Here's the full recipe. It calls for putting potatoes under the broiler rack, and man do they come out tasting good! The turkey recipe used a 16x12 disposable roasting pan under the rack rather than the pan bottom so that you could fit more stuffing. In either case, the object is to have somewhere for the fat to run without smoking up your kitchen. It's a very effective trick. Crisp-Skin High-Roast Butterflied Chicken with Potatoes If you prefer not to brine, use a kosher chicken - it is salted and has a taste and texture similar to a brined bird. For extracrisp skin, after applying the flavored butter (if using), let the chicken dry uncovered in the refrigerator 8 to 24 hours. Russet potatoes have the best potato flavor, but Yukon Golds have beautiful color and better retain their shape after cooking. Either works well in this recipe. A food processor makes quick and easy work of slicing the potatoes. Serves 4 1 cup kosher salt (or 1/2 cup table salt), for brine 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 whole chicken , 3 1/2 to 4 lbs, preferably free-range or other high-quality chicken such as Bell and Evans, giblets removed and reserved for another use, fat around cavity removed and discarded 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (4 to 5 medium), or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick Vegetable cooking spray (nonstick) 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 teaspoon table salt (for potatoes) Ground black pepper 1. Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Immerse chicken and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line bottom of broiler pan with foil and spray with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Remove chicken from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Following illustrations 1 through 6, butterfly chicken, flatten breastbone, apply flavored butter (if using), and position chicken on broiler pan rack; thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. 2. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, salt, and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Spread potatoes in even layer in foil-lined broiler pan bottom. Place broiler pan rack with chicken on top. Rub chicken with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with pepper. 3. Roast chicken until spotty brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to roast until skin has crisped and turned a deep brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees in thickest part of breast, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to cutting board. With potholders, remove broiler pan rack; soak up excess grease from potatoes with several sheets paper towels. Remove foil liner with potatoes from broiler pan bottom and invert foil and potatoes onto cookie sheet or second cutting board. Carefully peel back foil, using a metal spatula to help scrape potatoes off foil as needed. With additional paper towels, pat off remaining grease. Cut chicken into serving pieces and serve with potatoes.

That is a great idea. All about the do-aheads for a crowd larger than 12. Having that weekend ahead of time to cook another bird, carve, makes a nice rich stock for the gravy, freeze both. Lay the carvings in a stainless baking dish like a lasagna pan so somewhat shallow, or a sheet pan/ cookie sheet with at least an inch high sides. Make a stock immediately with a couple onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, etc. The tray of turkey slices needs to cool quickly, then fridge a bit. A 1/2cup of the stock, chilled, even interrupted while simmering, added to the slices with a few pats of butter...freeze that all ready for the oven. Parchment/ foil. You will have nice stock for your stuffing/dressing and even a do-ahead gravy. Even a quart or two of stock for a soup day or two after. (i freeze in 1/2 pints for easy thaw). My MIL has always roasted at least 4, sometimes 6 extra turkey legs with the bird. The boys like the legs. Pretty common as turkey legs are hard to come by near the holiday so she plans ahead and freezes what she can find. Adds them to the roasting bird around the side an hour into cooking. Lots of tricks for more than a dozen guests. I've done a few times for 25-30 and kinda like the challenge. We used the smoker for the extra turkey and a friend did a brisket on the grill...kept the boys occupied outside. The last big family holiday a few years ago with a three day stay flying in from everywhere, we had beds prepped, trays of snacks prepped, breakfasts prepped, the main meal prepped...even the table prepped...well ahead of the first car arrival. Less stress. And still nuts. Yet the kitchen was clean and all was ready for the oven timed easily.