on Friday, fear not! It's not a complicated process at all. Just follow the simple directions in one of the following methods and enjoy a moist, brown, beautifully cooked bird: *** HOW TO ROAST A TURKEY Wash the turkey, pat dry inside and out, singe, and remove any stray pin feathers with tweezers. Cut a small V and remove the oil sac from the tail.

Remove the neck if the butcher didn't. Allow 11 cups of stuffing per pound, ready-to-cook weight. Fill the body of the turkey and neck cavity with stuffing. Fasten the openings by sewing shut or using poultry pins or skewers.

Fold the wing tips back under, in toward the body. The wings will act as a brace for the bird in the roaster, and on the platter.

Bring the legs together and tie them securely; then, with the same piece of cord, tie to the tail. Rub soft butter or margarine all over the turkey, roast in a moderately slow oven (see separate chart). Roast in open pan with no water, basting occasionally with extra butter at first and then with drippings. If the turkey is becoming too brown, cover the bird with a piece of cheesecloth, which you may baste when you baste the turkey so that it remains moist. Or use aluminium foil, fitted loosely over the top of the turkey, being careful not to tuck it in, or there will be steam and the process will not be roasting. Remove the covering for the last 15-30 minutes to let the skin crisp and brown evenly.

*** ROAST TURKEY IN FOIL 1 turkey Salt Water Softened butter Stuffing RUB turkey inside and out with salt. Fill neck and body cavities with your favourite stuffing. Sew up cavities or fasten with poultry pins and lace with twine. Using strong twine, fasten legs to sides of bird. Wrap bird in a tight covering of aluminium foil. Put turkey, breast side down, in a roasting pan for the first hour of roasting and turn it breast side up for the rest of the time. Have a small quantity of water in the bottom of the roasting pan at all times. Allow 22 minutes a pound in a moderate oven, 350 degrees F.

Test by inserting a skewer into the fleshy part of the thigh. If skewer goes in easily and juice that flows out is clear and not all pink, the bird is cooked.

About 30 minutes before cooking time is up, remove foil from the turkey, brush well with softened butter and put in hot oven, 400 degrees F., to brown. Brush several times with more butter. The skin should be crisp and an even shade of golden brown. It should not be hard or dried out. Serve on a large heated platter. Make gravy from the pan drippings.