How to cook a turkey

1. First, preheat the oven so it'll be at the right temperature when you put the turkey in: gas 5/190°C/fan 170°C.

2. Take the whole bird out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking (30 mins for a joint). This will help to avoid it shrinking in the oven.

3. Remove any giblets from the neck. You may also want to take the wishbone out to make carving easier later on.

4. If you're stuffing the turkey, now's the time to do it. Always stuff from the neck end, as stuffing the main body will stop the heat from circulating, causing uneven cooking.

Make sure your oven has reached the right temperature: gas 5/190°C/fan 170°C.

To work out the cooking time, a good rule of thumb is to allow 20 minutes per kg, and then +70 minutes for a 2–3.9kg turkey, or +90 minutes for a 4–10kg turkey.

Times are usually based on the weight of an unstuffed turkey, so add on the weight of any stuffing to work out the proper cooking time.

Here, we've given you a guide to timings but please check the packaging of your turkey for specific cooking instructions.

To keep your turkey moist, try rubbing soft butter between the meat and skin, and brush melted butter over the skin for a golden finish. Creating a bacon lattice on top of your turkey will help keep it moist too.

Or, you can also try cooking your bird breast-side down and cover it with a large sheet of foil, making sure it's secured over the rim of the roasting tin. Take the foil off and turn it breast-side up (protecting your hands with a thick tea towel or clean oven gloves) for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Once the turkey's in the oven, baste it roughly every 40 minutes by pouring the juices in the tray over the top of the meat to keep it moist.

The best way to check if your turkey is definitely cooked is to use a meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the leg, being careful not to touch the bone. If it reaches at least 70°C for 2 minutes, then it’s done. If not, return to the oven for 15 minutes, then retest. Repeat until you have the right temperature.

If you don’t have a thermometer, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the leg and check that the juices run clear. If you can see pinkness in the juices, return to the oven for 15 minutes, then retest.

Happy your turkey's cooked? Great, now's the time to rest – for the turkey, that is - resting the meat allows it to reabsorb the juices, making it easier to carve.

To rest the turkey, loosely cover it with foil and let it sit in a warm place, away from draughts, for at least 30–45 minutes (or up to 90 minutes) after cooking.