Microwaved Whole Turkey

Micro-cook a whole turkey? Yes, there are actually times when such a recipe does come in handy—like when a microwave oven is all you have to cook with.

Recipe Ingredients:

Turkey Basting Agent:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet

1 (12 pound) defrosted turkey
1 large oven roasting bag (turkey size)

Cooking Directions:

1. For Turkey Basting Agent: Combine ingredients and microwave on HIGH (100%) for 45 seconds. Use this mixture to paint the turkey to be baked in a microwave oven.
2. First, if desired, stuff the turkey with your favorite stuffing mix. Then paint the turkey with the prepared Turkey Basting Agent.
3. Gently place the stuffed and painted bird in the flour-dusted roasting bag and place into a glass microwave roasting pan.
4. Enter the weight of the turkey on your microwave computer. For example, a 12-pound, 8-ounce bird will cook in the microwave oven 115 to 121 minutes at 70% power. Standing time will be 57 to 60 minutes. Dividing the time into fourths, the bird will cook at 70% power for about 29 minutes on its breast side; turn the dish and cook another 29 minutes. Now carefully turn the bird upside down (there will be a lot of juices in the bag, so be extra careful), with the bird breast side up, cook another 29 minutes at 70% power. Turn the roasting pan around again to cook for the remaining 29 minutes at 70% power.
5. Carefully remove bird from roasting bag, saving the juices for the gravy. Remove the stuffing at this point and place in a covered dish to keep warm. Cover the bird loosely with a tent of tin foil and leave alone for 1 hour to vlet the bird finish cooking. Carve and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers
6. If your bird is smaller or larger than the example given and you do not have a meat microwave computer, adjust the times accordingly.

Makes 10 servings.