Turkey Tips

Roasting a turkey can be daunting even for experienced cooks. . Listed below are a few tips for the perfect roast bird.  

1.     Order your turkey from a reputable meat purveyor at least one week prior to Thanksgiving, and pick it up the day before.  A fresh turkey is more flavorful than a frozen turkey.

2.     Ask your butcher to remove the wishbone.  This way, you can slice the full-length of the breast. 

3.     Buy one pound of turkey per person or 1½ pounds if you want leftovers.  Smaller turkeys are more tender so order two small turkeys versus one large.

4.     Once home, remove the bag of giblets from inside the cavity, rinse the turkey inside and out, and pat it dry with paper towels. This helps prevent bacterial growth. Refrigerate immediately.  Bring to room temperature one hour before cooking.

5.     Stuff the turkey just before roasting to prevent bacterial growth.  Don’t overstuff. The stuffing expands while cooking and may cause the bird to explode!

6.     While trussing the bird makes a prettier presentation, it is isn’t necessary and the bird will actually cook faster if untrussed.  If you do truss the bird however, use kitchen twine not dental floss!

7.     Rub the skin of the bird with butter or oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and sweet paprika.  The paprika makes the bird a turn a beautiful golden brown. Put the turkey, in a roasting pan, on a rack, so the heat can circulate. Fill the pan with 1 inch of water for basting and pan gravy.

8.     Roast at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Then cover the breast meat with aluminum foil to keep the bird moist, and cook at 350 degrees until done.  Baste every 30 minutes.

9.     The turkey is done when a thermometer inserted into the thigh reaches 170 degrees.  The breast may be a higher temperature since it cooks faster.

10.  Before carving, let the bird rest for 20 minutes on a warmed platter covered with foil.