Turkey with Gertie

My first turkey, my first frozen turkey, my first frozen turkey that I’ve ever taken out of a packet, my first frozen packetless turkey went nose first into a pan inside the sink because I failed to defrost it and that’s what frozen turkeys need to defrost so said Grandma.

Grandma who lent me the roasting pan, the roasting pan that I didn’t have because I’ve never cooked a small chicken before never mind a whole, packetless frozen turkey.

My first defrosted packetless turkey went into the borrowed roasting pan and into the oven and I over cooked it to 225 degrees but all was well because I told the two lads that all must be well when a woman cooks her first frozen packetless turkey on a random Friday, three days before Passover, just because. The lads dealt with the spuds and the asparagus and the gravy and claimed they did all the cooking, which is sort of true since I was busy fatigued after lifting the heavy bird up and down so many times.

In the circular spirit of Gertrude I might yet cook another one. She was a fine bird, she had personality under the electric element. I salute that first frozen turkey on a Friday in March. I have named her Gertrude.