|
Turkey Cooking and Carving Tips: |
 |
|
Before offering you
any cooking times or carving tips, we must first prepare the bird. |
|
1st. |
Remove the
inner wrappings (giblets) and neck from the neck and chest cavities.
Set aside for making broth or stuffing if desired. Note: If the
parts in the chest cavity seem to be stuck together or frozen, run
cold water through the cavity until the neck comes out freely.
|
|
2nd. |
Pat the
inside of the turkey dry with a paper towel. Lightly salt the inside
of the bird and rub the bird inside and out with cut lemon. This
helps to ensure a crisp skin. |
|
3rd. |
Place the
turkey breast side up in the appropriate sized roasting pan and add
about two cups of water or chicken or turkey broth, two cups white
wine*, the juice of two lemons, a couple of bay leaves and fresh
Rosemary. Throw the lemon used for the juice inside the bird. The
oil and resin from the skin adds more flavor. For additional flavor
use a poultry seasoning or rub. Nantucket OFF Shore Turkey Seasoning
is a favorite of many.
* If you choose to use the wine option shown above, choose the one
the you might usually like to drink. |
|
 |
|
Cooking Times |
|
1st. |
Put a
tinfoil tent over the turkey leaving the ends open. The foil tent
creates a self basting environment. The juice will spatter up on the
tent and then back down on the bird - and keeps your oven clean!
Important: Do not close the ends of the tent as this will add steam
causing you to stew, not roast, your turkey. |
|
2nd. |
Set your
oven to 325 degrees and place your turkey on the lowest rack in your
oven. Cook about 15 minutes per pound or until the turkey reaches
170 degrees internal temperature with a cooking thermometer. |
|
3rd. |
Estimated
Cooking Times: |
| |
14-16 lbs
= 3.5 to 3.75 hours
16-18 lbs = 3.75 to 4 hours
19-20 lbs = 4 to 4.5 hours
20-22 lbs = 4.5 to 5 hours
22-24 lbs = 5 to 5.5 hours
26-28lbs = 5.25 to 5.5 hours |
|
4th. |
If the
turkey has not reached a golden brown when it reaches 170 degrees
remove the tent and turn the oven to 450 degrees and roast to golden
brown. Watch closely this will not take long. |
|
 |
Now that your
turkey has been cooked, nice and juicy with crisp skin,
let's talk about "How to Carve Your Holiday Turkey" |
|
1st. |
It's not as
hard a many think, so get out your sharpest knife and let's get
going! |
|
2nd. |
There are
two reasons to rest your turkey for at least 20 minutes before
serving. It allows the juices to well up in the turkey, making it
juicer. It also cools the surface so that you don't burn your
fingers while carving; and it give you an opportunity to have a
glass of wine. OK that's three reasons. |
|
3rd. |
Take your
sharp knife and cut the area between the thigh and the breast. Push
down with the hand that is not doing the cutting and the thigh
should separate easily. Cut the joint between the thigh and the drum
and separate them. Don't try to carve the drumstick, just have Uncle
Dean gnaw onit. Worry the bone out of the thigh with your knife and
fingers and carve the thigh. |
|
4th. |
Now, make
one long incision in the turkey from just above the wing (leave the
wing where it is as it help stabilize the bird) all the way back to
where the thigh used to be. This incision is made parallel to the
table: just cut straight in. Next, go to the top of the breast and
start at the outside and cut straight down to the firs incision
referred to above. The slices should fall right off. These slices
should be just a little over a quarter inch thick. Serve all of
these slices from deep dish with a lot of very warm, not boiling
turkey broth. |
|
5th. |
Garnish
with a couple of bay leaves, some whole cranberries and anything
else that suits your fancy and have fun on your holiday. |
|
|
Tips, Secrets and
More . . . |
|
- Making Stock - |
If you want
to make your own turkey stock, buy some extra parts of turkeys
(legs, wings, etc.) and simmer while you are roasting the turkey. A
little know fact is that necks make the best broth. |
|
- Shhhhhh!!! - |
Here is our
secret to a moist turkey: I carve the turkey into a deep sided
platter and pour the broth from the roasting pan over the turkey for
flavor and moisture. You will never regret this move. You can
reserve some of the stock for gravy or use the extra stock you get
from cooking a few extra pieces. |
|
- To Stuff or Not to
Stuff - |
Stuffing a
turkey will gain you a great tasting stuffing, but the bread can dry
the turkey just a bit, so it's your call. I love the taste of the
traditional bread stuffing that comes out of the turkey but I'm not
sure it's worth chancing a dry turkey for it. |
|
- Cook it my way -
Upside down - |
My
favorite way to roast a turkey is with the breast side down. You
flip the turkey over for the final browning (about 30 minutes before
it is done). This makes for the moistest turkey but it can be a bit
tricky to flip a turkey over, especially the larger ones. You risk
tearing the skin so if a perfect presentation is important to you,
you might not find it worth it. |
|
- Wine Recommendations -
|
I serve my
turkey with a nice dry Chardonnay. If you prefer reds, I'd suggest a
pinot noir that has some berries in the background. This is a
fantastic match for a turkey. |
|
- Sanitize - |
ALWAYS WASH
HANDS, UTENSILS, SINK AND EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH
RAW TURKEY. Sanitize the counter, sinks and any containers or trays
that have been used. Use a solution of 1 teaspoon of unscented
chlorine bleach in a 1 quart of water, and let it dry completely. |
|
|
Happy Holiday's to All! From
your friends at Organic Milk Corp. |
|
