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Holiday Cooking Tips


 

Sizing up the Bird

Whole turkey: 1 lb per person, plus ½ lb per person for leftovers

Turkey Breast: ¾ lb per person

Boneless Breast: ½ lb per person

 

 

Turkey Selection & Preparation

Fresh turkey has superior flavor and texture, but frozen turkey is fine. Make sure you leave enough time and room to thaw it in the refrigerator. It takes about 24 hours for every 5 pounds. If you start to cut it close on time, submerge the frozen turkey in cold water in the sink, and change the water frequently. It will take about 30 minutes per pound to thaw.

 

To prepare the turkey for roasting, take it out of the plastic bag. Remove the neck and giblets (the heart, liver, and gizzard) from the neck and body cavities. If you like, you can use the neck, heart, and gizzard for gravy. Rinse the turkey with cold water and then pat dry with paper towels. Trim excess fat.

 

When you secure the legs, tuck the excess skin between the breast and the legs so the skin won't split as the turkey cooks. Secure the legs by tying together with kitchen twine. Lift the tips of the wings up and over the breast to the back, and tuck them under the turkey; secure the excess skin of the neck flap (if necessary, use a wooden pick).


 

Time for Turkey

8-12 lbs                 2 ½ - 3 ½ hours

12-16 lbs              3-4 hours

16-20 lbs              4-5 hours

20-25 lbs              5-6 hours

25-30 lbs              6+ hours

 

 

Cooking

  1. Place the oven rack in the lowest position.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425F.
  3. Place the turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and cover with foil. As an alternative to foil, you can place the turkey in an oven bag with chicken or turkey stock. I do not recommend a disposable aluminum roasting pan as it can be difficult to hold a hot, heavy turkey in such a flimsy pan.
  4. After the turkey has roasted for 30 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325F.
  5. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes as it cooks. You can use the juices from the bottom of the pan, or pour chicken or turkey stock over the turkey. If you are cooking your turkey in an oven bag, you can skip this step.
  6. 30 minutes before the turkey is done, remove the foil and baste the turkey so the skin will turn a crispy golden brown.
  7. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest 20 minutes before carving it.


 

Temperature Check

Turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 170F. To check the temperature use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching any bone. Begin to check for doneness 15-20 minutes before the end of the suggested cooking time.

 
 

Carving the Bird

  1. Use a chef's knife to remove half the breast by slicing along the breastbone's inside curve. Set each half-breast aside.

  2. Pull back the wings and, using the knife, remove at the joint. Set aside.

  3. Pull the leg and thigh back to expose the joint. Using the tip of the knife, follow the path of least resistance through the joint at its narrowest point. You’ll be able to see where the joint meets. Slice through the joint to make a clean break.  The thighs can be separated from the legs in the same way

  4. Slice the breast on the diagonal into quarter-inch-thick pieces. Using your knife like a spatula, pick up the entire breast and place it on a serving platter. Repeat for the other half of the breast. Then arrange the breast meat, wings, thighs, and legs on the platter around the breast.

 

 

Leftovers

For safety, deal with leftovers within two hours after roasting. Prep the turkey by removing any stuffing and carving meat off bones. To store in the refrigerator, wrap turkey slices and stuffing separately and use within three days. In the freezer, wrap in heavy foil or freezer wrap, or place in freezer container or bags. For optimum flavor, use turkey within two months.

 

Interactive Roasting Guide

Better Homes & Gardens has a neat new tool: an Interactive Roasting Guide. You select the type of meat or poultry, then select which cut, indicate if the item is fresh or frozen and select the weight then view the instructions. You can even select what time you want to eat and what level of doneness you prefer for steaks!