Perfect Turkey Roasting

For many people the thought of roasting a turkey for a special occasion or dinner can be quite daunting. They may fear that the turkey will either turn out underdone or overdone and too dry. The secret to preparing a perfect turkey is actually much simpler than you might think.

In order to plan a perfect turkey dinner, it is important to begin by planning to serve the right amount per person. This should consist of about 1 ½ pounds of turkey per person. You may use either a frozen or fresh turkey but if you do select a frozen bird, remember to allow sufficient time for it to thaw. Allow at least 24 hours for each 5 pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. A twenty pound turkey should be thawed in the refrigerator for at least four days.

Once the turkey is thawed, remove the gizzard packet from inside the turkey. Place the neck, gizzard and heart in a pot of cold water and place on low heat to bring it to a boil. This will form the stock for the gravy.

Now, rinse the turkey and dry it completely with paper towels. Do not use dish towels, as it will leave lint on the turkey. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Now you are ready to stuff it. One of the most common mistakes is to stuff the turkey ahead of time. Never stuff the turkey until you are ready to place it in the oven. Then, only lightly spoon the stuffing into the cavity of the turkey. The stuffing will expand, so you should not stuff it too tightly.

After the turkey has been stuffed, tie the legs to the tail with cooking string. The wings should be twisted under the back. Brush the turkey with melted butter and place an oven safe meat thermometer into the center of the thighs. Avoid hitting the bone with the thermometer. If you wish, you may also use an instant meat thermometer to check the progress of the turkey as you go along. Place in an oven, heated to 325 degrees and begin to roast. Roast turkey 20 minutes for each pound.

The turkey should be basted every thirty minutes with pan juices. Check to make sure that some parts, such as the wing tips are not browning more quickly than others. You may cover these parts with aluminum foil, shiny side down, in order to prevent them from over browning. You can also cover the whole turkey with cheesecloth to prevent over browning. Remember to soak the cheesecloth well with oil before applying to turkey.

Remove the giblet stock from the heat after it has simmered for two hours. After the turkey has roasted for ¾ of the recommended cooking time, cut the string that holds the legs to the tail. Place back in the oven and continue roasting until the meat thermometer shows 180 degrees for the meat and the stuffing has reached 165 degrees. Then, remove from the oven and cover turkey with aluminum foil. Allow turkey to rest for about 15 minutes before carving.

 
Site Locale: Perfect Turkey Roasting

 
Our Network: ExerciseInfo, GARECenter, AZRECenter