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More tips for the perfect turkey
Nov. 25th, 2009 03:37 pmI've already posting instructions on brining a turkey to make the meat tender and flavorful. But what's the point of brining if it's not cooked correctly? Roasting a turkey is more than sticking it in a pan and leaving it in the oven for a few hours. Here are some tips and tricks to make your bird delicious and tender.
1. If you're going to stuff the turkey before roasting, make sure all the ingredients of the stuffing are fully cooked. Allow the stuffing to cool to room temperature before putting into the bird. Stuffing needs to be 165° in order for all bacteria to be killed. If it's not at the proper temperature when you take the bird from the oven, put the stuffing in a casserole back into the oven until it's fully cooked. I usually make the stuffing a day ahead.
2. If you brined the turkey, then the giblets and extra fat should have already been removed. If not, do it before stuffing the bird. Rinse the inside of the cavity and outside of the bird with water then blot dry.
3. Bend the wings behind the top of the breast, so the tips don't burn. Tie the legs together. Fold back the neck skin and use a skewer to connect.
4. Season with olive oil, butter, cooking spray ... whatever you're using, along with preferred seasonings. If you've brined the turkey, DO NOT use any more salt. Depending on how much spice you used in your brine, you may not need to season it at all, just drizzle some oil on top.
5. ALWAYS cook the bird on a rack. Even if you're using a throwaway foil pan, place the bird on some sort of rack. I've improvised and used the small rack from the inside of my toaster oven when I didn't have anything else. Roasting the bird flat in a pan allows it to sit and cook in fat. Not exactly a healthy way to cook a low-fat bird. Cook at 350° for at least 3 hours. Stuffed birds need to cook about 30 minutes longer than unstuffed birds. When the skin has turned a light golden color, cover the top of the breast with a foil tent. Remove the foil for the last 45 minutes of baking so the skin turns a nice brown color.
6. Basting. Some people baste, some don't. Basting helps it to brown evenly, but it's not necessary to do so. Especially when the turkey has been brined, there's no danger of losing juices from the meat. DO NOT roast the bird breast-side down and then turn. I've seen a 20-lb turkey fall to the floor half-cooked because someone did this, thinking the juices will redistribute through the bird. There's no need. Just roast it breast-side up. Here's why:
7. Let it rest. When the bird is fully cooked (registering 165° on a meat thermometer), take it out of the oven, place it on a cutting board and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. This crucial step allows the meat to relax after tightening up during the cooking process. After resting at room temperature, the juices are redistributed throughout the turkey and the meat stands up to carving better--so the juices stay in the slices, rather than on your countertop. This resting period is the perfect time to make gravy, heat up side dishes, etc. Just keep the critters out of the kitchen!! You can cover the bird loosely with the foil tent from step 5 if your house is too cool.
So there they are, my tips for a perfect roast turkey (or chicken, goose, etc). I've never gone wrong roasting poultry this way.
1. If you're going to stuff the turkey before roasting, make sure all the ingredients of the stuffing are fully cooked. Allow the stuffing to cool to room temperature before putting into the bird. Stuffing needs to be 165° in order for all bacteria to be killed. If it's not at the proper temperature when you take the bird from the oven, put the stuffing in a casserole back into the oven until it's fully cooked. I usually make the stuffing a day ahead.
2. If you brined the turkey, then the giblets and extra fat should have already been removed. If not, do it before stuffing the bird. Rinse the inside of the cavity and outside of the bird with water then blot dry.
3. Bend the wings behind the top of the breast, so the tips don't burn. Tie the legs together. Fold back the neck skin and use a skewer to connect.
4. Season with olive oil, butter, cooking spray ... whatever you're using, along with preferred seasonings. If you've brined the turkey, DO NOT use any more salt. Depending on how much spice you used in your brine, you may not need to season it at all, just drizzle some oil on top.
5. ALWAYS cook the bird on a rack. Even if you're using a throwaway foil pan, place the bird on some sort of rack. I've improvised and used the small rack from the inside of my toaster oven when I didn't have anything else. Roasting the bird flat in a pan allows it to sit and cook in fat. Not exactly a healthy way to cook a low-fat bird. Cook at 350° for at least 3 hours. Stuffed birds need to cook about 30 minutes longer than unstuffed birds. When the skin has turned a light golden color, cover the top of the breast with a foil tent. Remove the foil for the last 45 minutes of baking so the skin turns a nice brown color.
6. Basting. Some people baste, some don't. Basting helps it to brown evenly, but it's not necessary to do so. Especially when the turkey has been brined, there's no danger of losing juices from the meat. DO NOT roast the bird breast-side down and then turn. I've seen a 20-lb turkey fall to the floor half-cooked because someone did this, thinking the juices will redistribute through the bird. There's no need. Just roast it breast-side up. Here's why:
7. Let it rest. When the bird is fully cooked (registering 165° on a meat thermometer), take it out of the oven, place it on a cutting board and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. This crucial step allows the meat to relax after tightening up during the cooking process. After resting at room temperature, the juices are redistributed throughout the turkey and the meat stands up to carving better--so the juices stay in the slices, rather than on your countertop. This resting period is the perfect time to make gravy, heat up side dishes, etc. Just keep the critters out of the kitchen!! You can cover the bird loosely with the foil tent from step 5 if your house is too cool.
So there they are, my tips for a perfect roast turkey (or chicken, goose, etc). I've never gone wrong roasting poultry this way.
