ROAST AND BRAG THANKSGIVING ITS TIME TO TALK TURKEY.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

OK. It's down to the wire. You'll be cooking the turkey and trimmings tomorrow - and you need a hand. The basics here should help you get the feast on the table with no sweat.

Relax and stay calm! While cooking a turkey may seem intimidating - especially if you're a novice - it's really not difficult. Don't make it complicated, because it's really not. Also included are simple recipes and hints for making the stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy as well.

HOW MUCH TO BUY

Just in case you haven't purchased a turkey yet, figure on 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person - more if you have hearty eaters or desire leftovers. If you know that more guests will prefer dark meat than white, consider buying extra parts and roasting in a separate pan. Be sure your oven is large enough to accommodate the size turkey you'll be cooking. In some instances, it may be best to buy two smaller birds and roast them side by side.

THAWING

Thaw the turkey using one of these three options. If your turkey is still frozen solid, it'll be too late to use the first method this Thanksgiving, but you can try it anytime during the holiday season.

REFRIGERATOR: Place the wrapped frozen turkey on a tray or in a pan lined with paper towels (to catch moisture that accumulates as it thaws), allowing 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. A 12-pound turkey, for example, would take two to 2 1/2 days to thaw, while an 18-pound bird would take about 3 1/2 days. The thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator up to two days prior to cooking.

COLD WATER: Using cold water is another thawing method. It's faster than refrigerator thawing, but requires more attention. Place wrapped turkey (if there are any leaks in packaging, place in a clean plastic food bag and secure) in a sink of cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes until turkey is pliable. Allow about 30 minutes per pound of turkey for complete thawing. A 12-pound turkey, in this case, would take about six hours to thaw.

MICROWAVE OVEN: It's feasible to thaw a turkey of 12 pounds or less in the microwave oven on the defrost cycle, turning often. However, it's necessary to cook the turkey, unstuffed, immediately after thawing, either in the microwave or a conventional oven because some areas of the turkey may become warm and begin to cook.

NEVER thaw a turkey at room temperature or in warm water. Bacteria multiply rapidly at room temperature, and in the hours it takes for a turkey to thaw, the surface bacteria could multiply to dangerous levels.

If you forgot to thaw the turkey, come Thanksgiving Day, you can start cooking the unwrapped frozen (unstuffed) turkey in a preheated 325-degree F oven, but you'll need to add 50 percent more cooking time to the original times on the roasting chart. Also, once the turkey is thawed enough, you'll need to very carefully (without burning yourself) remove the giblets and neck piece from the turkey cavities.

STUFFING

Food professionals advise against stuffing the turkey. The safest way to cook the stuffing is to bake it separately in a casserole dish. It's up to the cook. Keep in mind though that an unstuffed turkey requires less cooking time than a stuffed one.

If you opt to stuff the turkey, prepare the stuffing and stuff the turkey just before it goes into the oven. Never stuff a turkey in advance. Allow 3/4 cup of stuffing for each pound of ready-to-eat turkey. Bake any extra stuffing separately.

It's feasible to prepare and cook the wet and dry ingredients ahead of time and keep refrigerated (if necessary) separately. Combine and mix them just before placing inside the turkey or in a casserole dish.

Loosely spoon stuffing into body and neck cavities. To keep the stuffing in the turkey, close the neck and body cavities by folding the neck skin over the back and fastening with a skewer, trussing pins, clean string or toothpicks; then twist the wing tips under the back of the turkey to rest against the neck skin. Close the body cavity with skewers or by tucking ends of legs under a band of skin at the tail, or into metal clamps if provided. You can also close the opening by tying the legs together with a clean string.

If you opt to bake the stuffing separately, place in a greased dish, cover with foil and bake 45 to 60 minutes (the last hour the turkey roasts) at 325 degrees F. Remove foil the last 20 minutes or so of baking time to allow the top to brown, if desired.

OVEN ROASTING THE BIRD

Food expert and professional opinions vary as to the best way to roast the bird. Some like to brine it first, others don't. Some favor breast side up, others breast side down. And some cooks even recommend turning the turkey during roasting, which can be awkward and dangerous.

While some cooks like to stuff the bird (it wouldn't be a traditional Thanksgiving without the stuffing cooked inside the turkey, they insist), for safety reasons, food professionals don't. The same goes for basting - some favor doing it often during roasting (which really isn't necessary as it doesn't penetrate the skin much) while other cooks just oil the skin, shove the turkey in the oven and forget it.

Some experts prefer low, slow-cooking. Others like hot, high roasting temperatures. And the middle-of-the-roaders like combinations thereof. But the experts at the U.S Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Hotline and the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line recommend a steady 325 degrees F for safety's sake and optimum results.

Turkeys do not take as long to cook as people perceive they do - and that's a major mistake people make, note the food experts.

To prepare the turkey for roasting, unwrap the turkey and remove giblets and neck piece from the cavities. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water; drain well. Pat dry with paper towels. (At this point, immediately before roasting, stuff turkey, if desired.)

Place the turkey breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. Do not add water. Brush lightly with vegetable oil (or melted butter).

Truss the bird, if desired.

Cover turkey loosely with foil, leaving a little space between bird and foil and pressing foil over drumsticks either the first or last (it doesn't matter) 1 to 1 1/2 hours of roasting time.

Roast in a preheated 325-degree F oven according to the chart here, until the inner thigh reaches 180 degrees F on a meat thermometer, the center and all parts of the stuffing reach 160 to 165 degrees F, and the breast is 170 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer for safety reasons, emphasizes the USDA.

When done, remove from oven, remove the stuffing and allow the turkey to stand 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Never partially roast a stuffed or unstuffed turkey one day and complete roasting the next. Interrupted cooking increases the possibility of bacterial growth.

OTHER COOKING METHODS

You can grill, brine, smoke, microwave or deep-fry a turkey, but if you do, it should not be stuffed. Many cooks have turned to brining the last couple of years as a way to way to ensure a moist and tender turkey. The bird is submerged in a saltwater bath for eight to 12 hours, and the absorption of the water keeps the meat moist while the mixture (plain salt or other seasonings) flavors it. If you plan to brine, use a fresh turkey only. Selasting, frozen and kosher turkeys have already been salted.

Deep-frying is another cooking method you may have heard about, but it requires special equipment and can be messy and dangerous. For information on these and other cooking methods, see the USDA Web site, www.fsis.usda.gov.

Like it, don't lump it, with simple techniques

MASHED POTATOES

Opinions vary about the best way to prepare mashed potatoes. Some cooks prefer the russets (also called Idaho or baking potatoes) with their white color, while others favor Yukon Gold with their buttery color (both having a dry fluffy texture, which makes them the best potatoes for mashing).

To ensure light, fluffy results, food experts recommend using a potato ricer (available at kitchenware shops) or food mill. The ricer is easier and faster to use than a food mill. It's also feasible to use an electric mixer, but you must keep mixing to a minimum to avoid ending up with gluey mashed potatoes that have lost their fluffiness. A potato masher can also be used but does not yield fluffy results. To avoid a gluey mess, never use a food processor or blender.

Potatoes are best cooked, either peeled or unpeeled, covered with an inch of water, heated to boiling, and then simmered until tender.

Although some cooks use half-and-half or milk, others say plenty of cream and butter are the secrets of truly creamy potatoes. For the smoothest mashed potatoes, add the butter first, then warm half-and-half or cream. Hot liquid is recommended to keep the potatoes warm; however, using cold liquid won't affect the texture.

While mashed potatoes are best prepared at the last minute and served immediately, it's feasible (even though they'll lose some of their fluffiness) to make them a few hours ahead and reheat, covered, in a 300- degree oven or in the microwave.

CREAMY MASHED POTATOES

Salt to taste

Water

3 pounds russet potatoes

4 garlic cloves (optional)

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened

1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream OR half-and-half, heated

Pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and quarter. Add potatoes and garlic to pot and return to a boil. Gently boil potatoes 15 to 20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain in a colander.

Force warm potatoes and garlic through a ricer into a large bowl. Add butter and stir with a wooden spoon, letting butter melt completely. Add 1 cup hot cream and gently stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate, adding more cream to thin to desired consistency. Stir in pepper to taste. Makes 8 servings.

- From Gourmet magazine staff.

GRAVY

Many cooks fear making homemade gravy. Witness the number of cans of commercial gravy sold during the holidays because cooks simply give up on making their own. It's the lumps that cause the problem. The quick way of making gravy, suggest some experts, is to mix flour and water together until smooth and then stir it into the hot pan juices. Since this method isn't foolproof and often leads to lumps (which are messy and difficult to remove even when you pour the gravy through a strainer - trust me), we don't advise using it.

A safer method is to mix flour (use a wire whisk for best results) directly into hot fat (melted butter, oil, etc.), stirring to form a paste or roux. Then slowly whisk in the pan drippings and broth or stock into the fat mixture over medium heat, creating a silken gravy. Here's a simple recipe for success.

QUICK TURKEY GRAVY

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

3 cups canned chicken broth (OR use a combination of broth and turkey pan drippings for best flavor - 1/3 cup dry white wine can also be used as part of the liquid, if desired)

Seasoned salt and pepper to taste

Worcestershire sauce to taste

Liquid gravy browner OR browning sauce (such as Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master, if available)

In a saucepan, melt butter and using a wire whisk stir in flour. Cook, whisking, at least a couple of minutes or until light brown. Remove from heat. Gradually, whisk in chicken broth until smooth. Return to heat and bring to a boil, whisking, until slightly thickened. Reduce heat and simmer about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Add gravy browner to color desired. Makes about 3 cups.

NOTE: Add more broth if a thinner gravy is desired. Also add fresh chopped herbs (or dried) such as a mixture of rosemary and sage or thyme and parsley or tarragon and chives to butter before blending in flour, if desired. Recipe can be doubled or tripled, if desired.

EASY OLD-FASHIONED STUFFING

2 (6-ounce) bags seasoned dressing OR cornbread stuffing

1/2 to 3/4 cup butter OR margarine, melted

1 1/2 cups chopped celery 

1 cup minced onion

1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, water OR fruit juice

Combine dressing with melted butter, celery and onion. Stir in broth, adding more if desired. Mix well and stuff loosely in turkey neck and body cavities or place in casserole and bake separately. Roast stuffed turkey as directed on chart. OR bake stuffing separately in a casserole dish, covered, in preheated 350-degree oven 30 to 35 minutes or 325-degree oven 45 to 60 minutes or until hot. Uncover last 10 to 20 minutes, if desired.

TURKEY ROASTING GUIDE

(at 325 degrees F)

WEIGHT UNSTUFFED STUFFED

(POUNDS) (HOURS) (HOURS)

8 to 12 2 3/4 to 3 3 to 3 1/2 12 to 14 3 to 3 3/4 3 1/2 to 4

14 to 18 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 4 to 4 1/4

18 to 20 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 4 1/4 to 4 3/4

20 to 24 4 1/2 to 5 4 3/4 to 5 1/4

Times are approximate. Variations in ovens, pan sizes and materials, and the temperature of the turkey at beginning of roasting affect roasting time. Therefore, begin checking for doneness about an hour prior to the end of the recommended roasting time.

HOTLINE HELP

If you run into turkey problems this holiday season, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at [phone] or the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line at [phone]. The Butterball Talk-Line will have operators available Thanksgiving Day from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. to answer questions. See page 14 for more information.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 3 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Thanksgiving 101

Your guide to a fabulous holiday feast

(2 -- color) no caption (turkey)

(3 -- color) no caption (Creamy Mashed Potatoes)

Box: (1) Easy Old-Fashioned Stuffing (see text)

(2) Turkey Roasting Guide (see text)

(3) Hotline Help (see text)