Preparation:
Place onion on a rack coated with cooking spray. Place in a roasting pan. Pour 1/2 cup water into pan. Place turkey, breast side up, on top of onion; coat turkey with cooking spray. Insert meat thermometer in meaty part of thigh, making sure it does not touch bone. Bake at 325 deg for 1 hour.
Pour broth into pan. Cover turkey loosely with aluminum foil, and bake an additional 1-1/2 hours. Uncover and bake an additional hour. Cut the cord holding the ends of the legs to the tail (to ensure that thighs cook internally). Bake, uncovered, an additional 30 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 185 deg.
Remove turkey from oven. Cut a small slit on each side of turkey between the thigh and rib cage; let stand 20 minutes to drain all juices. Place turkey on a serving platter, and discard onion.
Pour pan drippings into a large zip-top heavy-duty plastic bag. Snip off one corner of the bag; drain drippings into a large bowl, stopping before the fat layer reaches the opening. Proceed with gravy recipe (see "Gravy Goes Light," page 130 of the Nov/Dec 1993 issue of Cooking Light), or cover and refrigerate the drippings until you are ready to use them. Yield: 31 servings (serving size: 3 ounces turkey without skin). |
