If the sugar is used in a different recipe, say for fudge, then it's good. I'd *never* coat a roasted turkey in sugar! Especially not 3 1/2 cups. Just no.

ETA: butter is listed in the instructions, but not in the ingredients, so it's probably just a really bad typo. lol!

Sugar wash is used to make Peking duck very crispy. Honey is also used in recipes to make skin extra crispy and brown.

Hot sugar poured on chicken (Or turkey) skin will make the skin immediate tight and smooth. Most of the sugar (or honey) drips off, so it will not make the bird sugary sweet.

Honey (or Sugar), butter, mustard blended well, makes a very wonderful sauce to brush on baked chicken.

dcarch

I'd ignore that recipe....obviously the sugar was included in error....and 250 is a pretty low temperature to roast such a large bird.
Powdered sugar contains cornstarch and won't melt.
And if you have ever attempted to turn a 18 to 20 pound turkey over while it's hot in a roasting pan....you will realize how silly that direction is too.

High temperature is the worst enemy for cooking any meat.

Low and slow has been proven to give you incredible results.

Lots of information on youtube and Google for low temperature roasting a turkey (including 20 lb turkeys).

Just be careful and use a good thermometer. Throw away that stupid plastic pop up thing.

dcarch

Sugar really will crisp up the skin, but not that much sugar! That's candied! And it'll char. If you want the help with crisping the skin, put a couple of tablespoons of sugar in a cup of oil and brush it all over the bird, or use any kind of bottled sauce or dressing that has oil and sugar in it.

The most important thing is a good bird. If you buy a good bird, there's no need for butter or other added fats, or brine or any fuss and bother . AllRecipes has a chart for time and temperature, which is pretty much the way I make mine (350° F, 20 min/lb.).

I use a deep cast iron roaster with a rack in the bottom for a 22 lb. bird. A heavy aluminum roaster is good too. A smaller bird can go in clay, which has its own set of instructions. If you only have a more shallow pan, or the bird is too big for the lid, make a tent of heavy duty foil, shiny side out. If your roaster doesn't have a rack, you can make one out of carrots and sliced roots, and/or the stems of herbs. Just cover the bottom of the pan so the bottom of the turkey isn't touching the heat conductivity of the roaster, which can make it cook too fast and get soggy.

Don't pack in the stuffing or the middle of the bird won't cook. Stuff loosely, or make all the dressing in a separate pan, and put aromatics in the bird. That's the only way I do it nowadays. Sometimes I'll put a lemon in halves or an apple, plus herbs. I've done just a three foot tall sprig of tarragon broken up to fit, and it was delicious. And seasoning. Seasoning the inside of the bird is effective.

I always dump a bottle of white wine over it, once the bird is in the roaster. It only has to be palatable. Nowadays I only use Two(and a half) Buck Chuck (Charles Shaw $2.49 from Trader Joe's). The wine steams the bird while it's roasting and helps keep it from getting too dry, while helping the skin to crisp.

Remove the cover for the last hour or so.

Judging by how much they eat of it, and the enthusiasm of the compliments (and my own lack of thoughts that it could be better), I judge it to be quite successful. And dead easy.

The turkey should be good, but it should be easy!

If you want to change it up, look at the other posts from this week, where you'll find instructions for roasting it butterflied (spatchcocked) over the stuffing, and other ideas for making parts.

Someone recommended that I serve a fresh turkey many years ago, and we love it. Moist and tender. Never will serve a frozen bird again. My aunt served a pretty garnish for turkey or ham, and I love the smell and taste. The last 5 to 20 minutes heat in the oven canned peach halves with a tablespoon of mince meat pie filling spooned into the indentation where the seed was. Use a pan with sides because they are so slippery.

I always get a fresh bird as well - big difference in moistness! I do mine a bit differently, coating it generously in a spice mix inside & out, then roasting on a rack untrussed & unstuffed for 30 minutes @ 450F, then turning the oven down to 350F until done, tenting w/ foil for the last hour or so. My spice blend has a lot of paprika in it, so the bird gets very brown. I usually get a 14-16# bird, which takes *maybe* 2 1/2-3 1/2 hours total.

Thanks everyone, for your input! Think I'll skip the recipe and the technique ;) I'm going to have to roast 2 birds now, (one after the other), due to the number people that are now expected. Had a couple of family members ask if they could bring their sil's, mil's etc - eek! I couldn't say no...... so I'll try out some tips offered here with the extra fowl.

People are often fooled by the concept of a "fresh" turkey. Are you talking one fresh killed as in from a farm that you plucked and cooked or one that's purchased from a store as "fresh"? Legally, a "fresh" turkey is one that has not been chilled below 26°F, while a frozen turkey has been chilled to 0°F. People often think that a store "fresh" turkey is refrigerated only and not actually frozen solid and therefore is better but a 26°F bird will knock a hole through drywall if tossed against it! That's still frozen in any definition of the word. Many will also argue that ice crystal formation that occurs and can dry a bird is worse at the higher temperature rather than the flash frozen birds that go to 0°F quickly.

I've had fresh and frozen and as long as they're properly cooked, I can't tell the difference presuming they're both comparable quality birds. I enjoy the simplicity of a properly roasted turkey. No sugar coatings, none of that. A properly roasted bird is delicious. Sure, there's much to be said for well-smoked or properly deep-fried, but given how seldom I have turkey, I always look forward to the taste. My 2¢ worth.

I agree on the "fresh" turkey that has a sell by date on the cryovac wrapping that is 3 weeks out and costs more per pound than a frozen one. It still has to be defrosted to get that bag out of the cavity....and it's not nearly as moist as a real frozen turkey....but a fresh killed turkey beats all, hands down!
Glad your party is proving to be popular. You might take the 2nd bird apart and roast it in pieces. It will cook faster. or if you have a gas grill, cook it there....just keep the fire low and slow and use foil to protect anything from getting too crisp.

Happy T.Day!

FWIW, when just 1 turkey may not be enough, roasting an extra breast (or 2) is a good solution - esp. since more folks prefer the white meat.

And cooking turkey breast is easier & faster than a whole bird, IMPE.