The other day I made fun of some of the crazy things people do when the Holidays approach and they just have to prove to the in-laws they can cook a turkey. No matter how great of a turkey you buy whether its an organic one or a major brand, if you over cook the bird it's still going to be dry. So lets have a moist turkey this year.
The "Reluctant Gourmet" had some great tips on what to look for and how to prepare a turkey and I am just going to pass them along. You can only say the same thing so many different ways and its still the same so here it goes.
If you bought a frozen turkey, defrosting your turkey is an important event prior to cooking. You want to thaw your turkey in the original wrapper in the refrigerator.. A 12-pound turkey takes approximately 2 days to defrost and 24 pound-er takes approximately 3-4 days.
You will want to clean the bird well in the sink with cold water the same as when cooking chicken or duck. Don't use any detergents folks okay!
Season the inside of the turkey well with salt. Pepper, and whatever other herbs and spices your mother or Grandma told you to use. Don't skimp. Seasonings help adding flavor.
Remember to to remove the giblets (heart, gizzard, and neck) from the cavity of the bird before cooking and be sure to make delicious giblet grave with them! I joked in an earlier post, so many forget this and it will not only stink but ruin the flavor of your turkey. Coat the exterior of the turkey with butter for a crisp skin.
Disposable aluminum roasting pan vs heavy duty roasting pan.
I don't own a fancy heavy duty roasting pan with 2 inch side that are big enough to hold a pretty healthy bird. But having one does have its merits. First they prevent the drippings from burning because of the heavier bottom. Two, they are easier to handle with placing the bird in and out of the oven. Have you every had one of those aluminum pan bend on you when trying to remove a hot turkey form the oven? Third, they are easier to d-glaze and make gravy in. The only down side I could see is they are expensive (yet one time) and where do you store them?
Hmmm stuffing, my favorite part of the meal. Whether it's an favorite family recipe or one you grabbed from your latest cooking book, here are a couple of tips that might help a little. My family always used stale bread for making the stuffing and or bread pudding. They claim it stands up better to the moisture. Cut the bread into smaller cubes to match the other chopped ingredients included in your dressing.
Its best to roast the turkey at 325 degrees F. with the legs pointing to the back, the hottest part of the oven. 2/3's of the through, cover (or tent) the turkey with foil to prevent the skin from over browning or burning. A 16 to 24 pound stuffed turkey takes about 12 to 15 minutes per pound.
Use a thermometer! Whether it's an oven thermometer you poke into a leg or an instant thermometer, and please forget about those pop-ups. The only thing they tell you is when the turkey is over done. It's a little confusing as you hear so many different opinions on what the internal temperature should be. They range from 165 degrees F. to 180 degrees F.
