Turkey is a great Christmas dinner” especially because it has fewer calories and less fat and cholesterol than most other meats. The fat content is limited to the skin and dark meat only so if you are on a low fat diet the white meat is the best for you. Turkey is much easier to digest than beef and contains a good deal of vitamins and other nutrients that are good for your body.
Roasting a turkey is not hard at all, it just takes time. A twelve pound bird will take about’0minutes to roast unstuffed while a twenty lb bird can take up to five hours. Preparation is relatively simple and non-time consuming.
[I:http://rochestereats.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/MarkKnowles6.jpg]Frozen bird is available in most department store all year round. Some markets are offering breasts and legs fresh most of the year. Frozen turkeys need to be thawed for several days in the refrigerator before they can be cooked. A twelve to fifteen pound turkey will take two to four days to thaw while a twenty to twenty-five pound bird may take up to five days. Place the turkey in a pan to catch the drips as it thaws and place it on the bottom rack of the refrigerator.
The first step to prepping your bird 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.
Wash the bird by running water over and inside of the bird until the water runs clear. Use only water and never use soap. You may want to pat the bird dry with paper towels and then put it in a roasting pan breast side up.
Stuffing is a good side dish to be served with bird 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 bird. 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 turkey. 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 bird 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 bird 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 bird 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– lbs) 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 turkey 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 bird every 20 minutes. This will keep the meat moist.
Make sure to let the turkey rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. You will have a delicious roast turkey dinner and don’t forget to save some for sandwiches and other leftovers.
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.
