When turkey season is upon us, it’s hard to withstand the common rush, so, many people who usually don’t even cook all that much, suddenly find themselves grocery shopping for the bird and all the things that go with it.
One thing we all want during this hectic time is to make the cooking as easy as possible. Here are some useful tips on how to make this process simple and fun.
The amount of time and effort spent on cooking a turkey largely depends on its weight. An average turkey will be about 15 pounds. This can serve at least 15-16 people. If your company is smaller, you will have leftovers.
Once you have your turkey, the first thing you need to do before you cook it is thaw it. The safest way to do this is transfer your frozen turkey from the freezer to the fridge. You should plan at least 24 hours for each 4 pounds of turkey to thaw in the fridge, so, a 15 pound bird will take approximately 3 days to thaw.
There are plenty of recipes for baking a turkey, most of them differ in terms of stuffing and herbs to rub into the turkey. Select the one you want and start cooking at least 6-7 hours before your dinner is planned.
Trim your turkey before cooking. Removing giblets from the inside and any large chunks of fat is one thing to do. The next step is to put your stuffing and fresh herbs inside the turkey. To make the bird look better, pinch the skin around the legs and the opening cavity with toothpicks.
Lay a large cooking pan with chopped vegetables and a bit of wine and water.
Cover the turkey body with foil, leaving only wings and legs out. This will help to prevent the turkey skin from burning, as it will take a few hours in the oven to cook completely. Now its time to wait till it bakes. The timing will largely depend on your oven function and the size of the turkey. It’s best to use a meat thermometer to check for redness. A perfect temperature for the turkey meat when it’s cooked is 175F.
Simply stick the meat thermometer into the thickest part, at the breast or at the thighs. About 30-40 minutes before taking the turkey out, remove the foil to allow the crispy crust to form on the skin. Also, give the turkey about half an hour to rest before you serve and carve it.
And now comes the funnest part! Eating it! I hope you have a great holiday dinner and enjoy it immensely with your loved ones.
Wondering how long to cook a turkey to perfections? Find out in this article ?
