an old chestnut for xmas dinner - how long do i cook the turkey for?

[GodRestYeEllieMentalmen]

I know this sounds insane, but it is several years since i cooked a whole turkey - it is 15 kgs. My mother says Nigella says....2.5 hours

I'm not about to risk food poisoning on the say-so of the gorgeous pouting one... so what do you all say?

i was reading on C4's website (via the Jamie Oliver prog on last night) some tips from Dave Kelly of Kelly Bronze turkeys.

he suggested 22 mins per kilo and putting the bird breast side down for the first hour of cooking. (he also said do not stuff the bird as it takes 3 times as long to cook!)

worth having a look to double check i'm not wrong!

at this rate the bloody thing won't defrost in time anyway....

Turkey would be better than an old chestnut imho.

I know Lady...it was supposed to be feeding eight of us, and 4 children but the snow means we will be down to four.

Doesn't really matter how I cook it, we are going to HATE turkey by Sunday :)

so much conflicting advice on google Lady, that's why I'm posting here!

Do you mean 15lbs? That's about 7kg.

I wouldn't be able to fit a 15kg turkey in my oven.

If it's a free range bronze bird then 2 and a half hours for 7kg sounds a little short, obviously if it is 15kg then it's nowhere near long enough. There was a thread yesterday that someone worked out a 4kg bird would take 2hrs.

But intensively reared birds will take longer.

oh FFS it's 6.5kg, I have no idea why I thought it was 15.....

lol x-posted claire, yes, i'm obviously an old bird myself, working in pounds!

link to Kelly Bronze website for cooking times etc. But I stress that it will apply to free range bronze turkeys only.

20 mins per pound do we think, with an extra 20 minutes? Unstuffed.

No advice on how long to cook it for, but as students we 'successfully' defrosted a HUGE turkey in a hot shower. Took about an hour.

Landlord/flatmate was seriously unimpressed until he'd been anaesthetized pacified with several bottles of plonk.

oh, we are very flexible!

we will put it on at around 11am and eat when it is ready.

We are well prepared here, with huge stores of emergency chocolate....!

sorry just came back to realise i'd typed kilo when i meant per POUND !! don't want to give you food poisoning!

The beloved Delia says;
To roast turkey
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C).

For an 8-10 lb (3.5-4.5 kg) turkey:
Cook for 30 minutes then reduce the temperature to gas mark 3, 325°F (170°C) and cook for a further 2½-3 hours. Then give it a final 30 minutes (uncovered) at gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

For a 12-14 lb (5.5-6.5 kg) turkey:
Cook for 40 minutes then reduce the temperature to gas mark 3, 325°F (170°C) and cook for a further 3-3½ hours. Then give it a final 30 minutes (uncovered) at gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

For a 15-20 lb (6.75-9 kg) turkey:
Cook for 45 minutes then reduce the temperature to gas mark 3, 325°F (170°C) and cook for a further 4-5 hours. Then give it a final 30 minutes (uncovered) at gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

To tell if the turkey is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the leg with a skewer then press the skewer against the leg to see if the juices run clear without any trace of pink ? if the juices are clear, the turkey is cooked.