Method
Prep:20min  ›  Cook:2hr  ›  Ready in:2hr20min 

1. Make sure the turkey is fully defrosted and the butcher hasn’t left any little surprises in there for you (remove all giblets).
2. Preheat the oven as high as it will go; at least 230 C / Gas 8 (it is a good idea to have recently cleaned it to reduce smoke).
3. Open the turkey out (this is opposite to normal methods where you truss in the legs and wings). The thigh takes longer to cook so you can cut into this area down to the joint to open it up to the heat better. Cut away any flaps, fat or similar that you are not going to eat. Do not stuff the turkey.
4. Place the turkey in a large roasting tin. Rub the turkey with a generous portion of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Roast the turkey in the oven and leave. I set the timer to check it every 30 minutes. If it is browning too quickly place an a foil tent over the top. Don’t seal the foil on the tin otherwise it gets soggy.
6. You can cook at this temperature all the way until it is finished; about 2 hours. I like to drop the temperature back to a reasonable 180 C / Gas 4 after the first hour and leave it in there a bit longer, about an hour.
7. Remember that the turkey temperature can increase up to 10 degrees after you take it out the oven while it is resting, so if it is perfect when you take it out it could be starting to get dry by the time you start to eat it.