Thanksgiving is a feast, complete with many fancy side dishes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and the star of the event: the big gobbler. It's one of the days that cooks across Canada sidle up to the kitchen counter and whip up a truly amazing dinner.
But for many people it's a time to panic. Turkey rookies can go into a complete tail spin at the mere mention of 'preheat oven to 325F(160C).'
Roasting a turkey is a very personal experience. There as many methods out there as opinions on who should be our next great leader.
Foodies start planning their menus in late September. Chefs debate what the perfect temperature to roast is. And some professional cooks will argue that deep fat frying is the way to go. But before you can compete with the pros you need to know the basics. So for all you turkey virgins follow these steps for your inaugural turkey success.
First things first
Buy a meat thermometer. The only safe effective way to tell if a turkey is cooked is by internal temperature.Decide on how many people you're serving and then allow 1.5 pounds per person. Sound like a lot? Well you need to factor in that a turkey has bones in it and then there is the dreaded shrinkage, plus you want leftovers. 1.5 pounds is the magic number.Fresh vs. frozen debate
They both are great choices depending on your needs.
Some people swear by fresh, but I love the convenience of buying a frozen bird. I get to pick it up before the Thanksgiving rush and then store it in my freezer until I need to start the thawing process.
For a frozen bird: Place the frozen turkey on a dish to catch any liquid and allow one day for every four pounds of turkey. Here's where not goofing around in math class will finally come in handy. A sixteen pound turkey will take four days in the fridge. Don't even think about thawing it on the counter, and yes I know our parents used that lovely method but it is one of the best ways to spend most of the day after Thanksgiving in the ER. You can't smell if food is contaminated but your gastrointestinal tract can figure it really quickly out. To overstate: Thaw the turkey in the fridge. Okay, you forgot to take the turkey out of the freezer and its 8:00 am on Thanksgiving morning. Don't panic. Submerge the frozen bird in cold not hot water. Keep changing the water every 30 minutes. It should take about 30 minutes per pound so that sixteen pound bird should be thawed in 8 hours. As long as you don't stuff it you'll be eating some time around 9:00 pm. Just another really good reason why you should write yourself a note to take that sixteen pound frozen bird out of the freezer four days before you need it. Fresh turkeys are usually bought a couple of days before Thanksgiving. But I totally hate grocery shopping with the frenzied, hence my attraction to the frozen bird.
I really love the turkeys that you cook from frozen. No need to thaw. The turkeys are brined before they're stuffed and then flash frozen. For the turkey challenged they really are the easiest bird to cook. All you do is remove the wrapper, place the frozen turkey on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, rub on some canola oil and put it into the oven. You test for doneness exactly the same way as a standard turkey and it comes out moist and juicy every time. For ease and convenience its my bird of choice.
Wash those hands
When you cook you need to make sure that your hands are clean.
Wash your hands with soap and water before and after turkey prepWash anything that came into contact with the raw turkey in hot soapy waterWipe counters and taps with paper towels and hot soapy water and a disinfectantUse paper towels not a cloth for all clean up when using raw protein
To stuff or not to stuff? Health Canada says no. Stuffing is the ideal breeding ground for bacteria. They recommend that the stuffing is cooked separately either in an oven-friendly dish or on the stove top. They also say that if you swear by your family recipe, skip any raw ingredients, stuff loosely, cook till you reach an internal temperature of 165F (75C) and then remove the stuffing from the bird.
How long to cook? These are the guidelines:
5-6 lbs / 2-4 kg - 3-3 1/4 hours (3 hrs 15 min) stuffed, 2 - 2 3/4 hours (2 hrs 45 min), unstuffed8-11 lbs. / 4-5 kg - 3 1/2 hours (3 hrs 30 min) - 4 hours stuffed, 2 3/4 (2 hrs 45 min) - 3 1/4 hours (3 hrs 15 min) unstuffed11-18 lbs. / 5-8 kg - 4- 4 1/2 hours (4 hrs 30 min) stuffed, 3 1/4 hours (3 hrs 15 min) - 3 3/4 hours (3 hrs 45 min) unstuffed18-22 lbs. / 8-10 kg - 4 1/2 hours (4 hrs 30 min)- 5 hours stuffed, 3 3/4 hours (3 hrs 45 min) - 4 1/4 hours (4 hrs 15 min) unstuffed22-24 lbs. / 10-11kg - 5 1/4 hours (5 hrs 15 min) - 5 3/4 hours (5 hrs 45 min)stuffed, 4 1/4 hours (4 hrs 15 min) - 4 3/4 hours (4 hrs 45 min) unstuffed
Getting it into the Oven - the checklist
Wash your hands and the sinkLower the rack in your oven to the lower third Preheat oven to 325F (160C)Get out the paper towels
Get out a shallow roasting pan with a rack and set beside the sink (shallow works best. You want to roast the turkey, not steam it)Get out the salt and pepperHave the stuffing ready, if you are going to stuff the birdGet out a knife or scissorsGet out a plastic bag for garbage and have it handyWash your handsGet the turkey out of the fridgePlace in sinkRemove the wrapper and carefully discard the wrapper into the plastic bag that you have handyRemove the bags of 'goodies' from the large inner cavity and the neck from the smaller neck cavity. Either discard or make a stock out of them. For the stock people you will need a medium saucepan some water, onion, carrot, celery and a clove of garlic. For the non stock people discard the goodies into the plastic bag. Stock people simmer the giblets for at least 4 hours, strain and use for gravy or soup stockMeanwhile back at the sink: Tip the turkey so if there is any blood it runs into the sink and down the drain Wipe the inside of the turkey with paper towels, discardPlace the turkey, breast side up on the rackWash handsStuff it if you're going toWash handsSprinkle the outside of the turkey with salt and pepperPlace turkey in ovenWash your handsCongratulate yourself - you got the bird into the ovenSet timer for two-thirds of the required cooking time and have a drink or a nap whatever works for youWhen the timer goes off at the two-thirds mark, wash your hands and take the bird out of the oven and take its temperature. Insert the meat thermometer into the centre of the stuffing. The temperature needs to read 160F (72C) for it to be cooked. If you didn't stuff the turkey insert the thermometer into the deep thigh avoiding hitting a bone. The temperature needs to be 180F (83C). It won't be that temperature, but your oven could be off, adjust for time. Basting every hour is a waste of time - it cools down the oven and the bird which will translate into a longer cooking time and it only tenderizes to 1/8-inch. I baste only in the last hour or soIf the turkey is starting to get too brown place a piece of foil loosely over the darkened places Place the turkey back into the oven Wash your hands
Is it done? It's all about internal temperatures. Don't be wiggling the legs or cutting into the turkey. You really need that thermometer I keep bringing up.Wash your hands and take the turkey out of the ovenInsert the thermometer into the centre of the stuffing. It should read either 160F (72C) or 180F (83C) at the deep thigh.If it's hit those temperatures it's done.Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and set it on a carving platterNow its time for some 'turkey time-out'. Cover the turkey loosely with foil and let sit for 15 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute ensuring that your turkey is juicy and the temperature in the stuffing will rise to 165F (75C) ensuring that its cookedWash your handsRemove foil, remove stuffing and carve.Serve to applause
Side Dishes
If you're having a large crowd delegate the rest of the dinner. Get your friend to bring some nibbles, your Aunt Bernice to bring her world famous sweet potatoes, and your sister to bring dessert. Thanksgiving is supposed to be about family, friends and being grateful for what we have not a sentence to kitchen hell. See my blog: Don't be a turkey dinner martyr this ChristmasFor some side dish recipes, check out my website www.mairlynsmith.com click on Seasonal Recipes and then on Turkey Time
Help
If for any reason you're having a turkey emergency call 1-800-Butterball. The home economists who man the lines have heard it all and are there to help you.Or try www.butterball.ca for FAQ
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