My employers gave us all a Diestel Family Turkey Ranch Turkey as a holiday gift. Whitney and I found her slippery bulk especially amusing because it was quite early in the morning. She (I know it was a she because the packaging identified her as a hen) grew up happily, ranging free at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I requested a 12-15 lb. turkey, but she had grown to a healthy 18.26 lbs. Good because, more free turkey.
Problematic because, my small-ish roasting pan and apartment oven meant that she was just a bit cramped.
Also, she was filled with the traditional super gross bag of giblets. Which got brined, because I forgot to remove them before her soak.
After brining, she recived a full cramming of aromatics up her, um, nether end.
Then into the oven she went. The first time I tried to put her in, the oven rack was on the second to lowest position. She bumped into the top coil and sizzled a little, a distressing sound when you don't expect it. Even when I lowered the oven rack she still filled up almost every inch of oven.
Then it was time to wait.
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