Turkey

This recipe is from Diestel Family Turkey Ranch near Sonora. Diestel offers a detailed cooking chart at www.diestelturkey.com/recipes. Click on "roasting instructions." We do the turkey math for you.

• Ingredients:

4 tablespoons oil, (melted butter, margarine, olive oil, etc.)

4 teaspoons salt, or to taste

2 teaspoons paprika

• Instructions:

Remove neck and giblets from the body cavity and rinse the bird with cold water. Pat cavities lightly with a paper towel. Rub body and neck cavities with salt if desired, and stuff loosely. Truss neck cavity with metal skewer and truss legs.

Rub exterior of turkey with a blend of your favorite herbs and spices or with a paste made from the ingredients above.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place bird in open pan, breast side up. Pour 2 (8-ounce) cups of water in bottom of pan. Place in oven. Roast for roughly 15 minutes per pound.

Note: If roasting turkey unstuffed, decrease roasting time by approximately 30 minutes.

Note: Roasting time may vary as much as 30 minutes due to differences in individual equipment. You may want to check your oven for correct temperature. Please follow roasting times suggested, being careful not to over-roast. There is no need to turn the bird while roasting, as it will brown to a rich, golden color. However, a piece of foil should be placed loosely over the turkey for approximately the last hour of roasting.

When the turkey is done, the thickest part of the drumstick will feel soft. Remove from oven. Let stand 15 minutes before carving.