Turkey – Cooking the Thanksgiving Centerpiece
Amateur and even cooks with a little bit experience are often overwhelmed when tasked with preparing turkey for Thanksgiving. Perhaps it’s the size of the bird, or the importance of the dish that makes them doubt their ability. But cooking turkey is a rather pleasurable experience – as long as you adhere to a few basic tips.
First you need to decide how big a turkey you will need to buy. It is wise to allot 3/4 of a pound to one pound for each person who you will be serving. If you are buying a frozen turkey make sure you allow adequate time to defrost the bird. You will want to let the turkey thaw in your refrigerator for two to five days to ensure that it is entirely defrosted. Turkeys that are still frozen on the inside will not cook through and through.
When ready, begin the final preparations by rinsing the bird thoroughly. Pat the skin dry and make sure that you get rid of all the innards that butchers often stuff back in there. Rinse the insides and dry it thoroughly as well. A good tool for a novice is an oven bag. If you choose to go this route, coat the inside of the bag with a couple tablespoons of flour before putting the turkey in. Do everything according to the instructions and don’t forget to punch vent holes in the bag for vapors to escape.
For a turkey that’s bursting with flavor, consider stuffing the skin with butter and herb and spices. Loosen the skin of the turkey by separating it from the beat with your fingers. The skin will be loose and you will find ‘pockets’ between the skin and the meat. You can fill these with melted butter, spices, juice concentrates, even minced onions, apples, or garlic. This will help give the turkey meat flavor, as well as keep the meat nice and moist.
Some people enjoy the taste of stuffing that has been cooked inside a turkey. Prepare your stuffing and then expose the turkey’s cavity by lifting up the covering skin, fill the entire cavity loosely with stuffing. There are two cavities and you may fill both or just the larger one. If you do not wish to fill with traditional stuffing, the cavities can be stuffed with quartered apples, onions, garlic cloves, shallots, or pears. Whether you are stuffing your turkey with stuffing or with items to improve the flavor of the turkey meat, cook as directed for a stuffed turkey. Stuffed turkeys have a longer cooking time than unstuffed turkeys so be sure to budget the additional time frame into your meal preparations.
You can add herbs and spices of your choice along with melted putter or olive oil to the skin of the turkey; then place it in a deep roasting pan that is large enough to hold the turkey and the drippings. Baste regularly if you are not using an oven bag. Remove from oven when fully cooked and let stand before carving. Enjoy!
Michelle is truly a season writer regarding home cooking. She really loves expressing her pointers and tips on creating crock pots or possibly slow cooker chicken recipes.
