Roast turkey provides your family with a healthy alternative to other meats because it contains less calories, fat, and cholesterol than beef and pork. The only fat in the bird is confined to dark meat and the skin making it a good choice for those that are on a diet that limits fat. The meat of the turkey is much more digestible that other meats and will provide your body with vitamins and minerals it needs to stay strong and healthy.
Roasting a bird is not hard at all, it just takes time. A twelve lb turkey will take about 180minutes to roast unstuffed while a twenty lb bird can take up to five hours. Preparation is relatively simple and non-time consuming.
Departmnent stores carry bird all year found so finding what you need for your feast shouldn't be a problem. Turkeys come frozen and some department stores carry fresh bird parts in the refrigerated section. Fresh turkey can be cooked right away but frozen birds need to be thawed for a period of time in the refrigerator and that can take several days. Small birds can thaw in about four days and a large bird can be in the refrigerator five to six days before ready to cook. Make sure to put your turkey in a pan to thaw because the packaging will drip and you don't want a mess to clean in the refrigerator.
The first step to prepping your turkey to cook is to remove the packaging. You will find some clips that hold the legs together and those need to be taken off. Once the legs are apart you will see the cavity of the bird and there is usually a small package inside that contains the giblets (internal organs or heart, liver and kidneys) and the neck. Traditionalists chop the organs up and cook them in butter to be placed in the stuffing and the neck is usually boiled in water with onions and celery to make turkey stock for the gravy. You don't have to use them however and if you desire you can cook them and give them to your dog or cat. Never give it to them raw and never give them the neck.
In the next step the turkey needs to be washed down so run water outside and inside of the bird until you are sure all blood is gone. Don't use soap to wash a bird - only water. Pat the bird dry with a few paper towels and then put it in a large roasting pan with the breast facing up.
Stuffing is a good side dish to be served with turkey and it can be cooked inside the cavity of the bird but always stuff it a few minutes prior to putting it in the oven. You don't want your guests to get food poisoning and that is likely to happen if you let the stuffing sit inside the bird for awhile. It is much safer to make stuffing outside of the turkey. Place a few peeled and lightly chopped onions and some celery inside the cavity if you don't stuff it. Add garlic if you desire and a few teaspoons of butter. These things will impart a lovely flavor to your bird. Remove them before serving. Melt some butter in a saucepan and brush a heavy coating over the breast and legs of the bird. If you are worried about fat content use a butter product that does not contain a lot of fat. Season the bird with salt and pepper and add some dry sage. Other herbs good for turkey are rosemary and thyme. Pour 1 or 2 cups water in the pan, not over the bird to give it some moisture. It should just cover the bottom of the pan. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and pop the turkey in, uncovered, for one half hour. Turn the temperature down to 350 degrees for the duration of cooking time.
Before you put the bird in the oven insert an oven safe meat thermometer in the thigh of the bird. If you have an instant meat thermometer you can use it after the turkey has been in the oven for awhile. The internal temperature of the turkey is important because it tells you when it is safe to eat. The time a turkey stays in the oven depends on the size. Small turkeys go for about three hours, medium small (12 to-- pounds) go three and three fourths hours, medium (15 to') cooks four and one fourth hours, a large (19 to 20) cooks four and one half hours and a extra large (20 and up) should stay in the oven five to five and one half hours. You will know it is done when the meat thermometer hits'0 degrees F. If you notice the top of the bird getting too brown just add a tent of foil. Watch the thermometer and when it reaches about 150 degrees start basting by sucking the juices from the bottom of the pan with a baster and squirting on the breast and legs of the turkey every 20 minutes. This will keep the meat moist.
Before carving place the bird on a cutting board and leave it alone for about 10 minutes. Enjoy your roast turkey along with all the trimming but make sure there are leftovers to make those luscious turkey sandwiches the next day.
Roasting a bird is not hard at all, it just takes time. A twelve lb turkey will take about 180minutes to roast unstuffed while a twenty lb bird can take up to five hours. Preparation is relatively simple and non-time consuming.
Departmnent stores carry bird all year found so finding what you need for your feast shouldn't be a problem. Turkeys come frozen and some department stores carry fresh bird parts in the refrigerated section. Fresh turkey can be cooked right away but frozen birds need to be thawed for a period of time in the refrigerator and that can take several days. Small birds can thaw in about four days and a large bird can be in the refrigerator five to six days before ready to cook. Make sure to put your turkey in a pan to thaw because the packaging will drip and you don't want a mess to clean in the refrigerator.
The first step to prepping your turkey to cook is to remove the packaging. You will find some clips that hold the legs together and those need to be taken off. Once the legs are apart you will see the cavity of the bird and there is usually a small package inside that contains the giblets (internal organs or heart, liver and kidneys) and the neck. Traditionalists chop the organs up and cook them in butter to be placed in the stuffing and the neck is usually boiled in water with onions and celery to make turkey stock for the gravy. You don't have to use them however and if you desire you can cook them and give them to your dog or cat. Never give it to them raw and never give them the neck.
In the next step the turkey needs to be washed down so run water outside and inside of the bird until you are sure all blood is gone. Don't use soap to wash a bird - only water. Pat the bird dry with a few paper towels and then put it in a large roasting pan with the breast facing up.
Stuffing is a good side dish to be served with turkey and it can be cooked inside the cavity of the bird but always stuff it a few minutes prior to putting it in the oven. You don't want your guests to get food poisoning and that is likely to happen if you let the stuffing sit inside the bird for awhile. It is much safer to make stuffing outside of the turkey. Place a few peeled and lightly chopped onions and some celery inside the cavity if you don't stuff it. Add garlic if you desire and a few teaspoons of butter. These things will impart a lovely flavor to your bird. Remove them before serving. Melt some butter in a saucepan and brush a heavy coating over the breast and legs of the bird. If you are worried about fat content use a butter product that does not contain a lot of fat. Season the bird with salt and pepper and add some dry sage. Other herbs good for turkey are rosemary and thyme. Pour 1 or 2 cups water in the pan, not over the bird to give it some moisture. It should just cover the bottom of the pan. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and pop the turkey in, uncovered, for one half hour. Turn the temperature down to 350 degrees for the duration of cooking time.
Before you put the bird in the oven insert an oven safe meat thermometer in the thigh of the bird. If you have an instant meat thermometer you can use it after the turkey has been in the oven for awhile. The internal temperature of the turkey is important because it tells you when it is safe to eat. The time a turkey stays in the oven depends on the size. Small turkeys go for about three hours, medium small (12 to-- pounds) go three and three fourths hours, medium (15 to') cooks four and one fourth hours, a large (19 to 20) cooks four and one half hours and a extra large (20 and up) should stay in the oven five to five and one half hours. You will know it is done when the meat thermometer hits'0 degrees F. If you notice the top of the bird getting too brown just add a tent of foil. Watch the thermometer and when it reaches about 150 degrees start basting by sucking the juices from the bottom of the pan with a baster and squirting on the breast and legs of the turkey every 20 minutes. This will keep the meat moist.
Before carving place the bird on a cutting board and leave it alone for about 10 minutes. Enjoy your roast turkey along with all the trimming but make sure there are leftovers to make those luscious turkey sandwiches the next day.
About the Author:
With Thanksgiving approaching, it is time to think about the best roast turkey recipe and I prefer a traditional recipe, with traditional presentation, which includes a classic turkey gravy made the old fashioned way.
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