Me? I don't find it to be worth the trouble. I'm not even going to try to settle it here. Don't brine. To brine or not to brine? You'll find chefs who stand passionately on both sides of this issue.Cooking the turkey to the right temperature will kill any bacteria that may be lingering in your turkey-you can't wash it away so don't even try. This advice comes straight from the USDA. Washing the turkey can contaminate your kitchen as water and turkey germs spray. They're a combination of lessons learned from mom, various chefs, and lots of trial-and-error in my own kitchen through the years. So, I hope I can eliminate the guesswork for you if you've never cooked a turkey or have struggled with inconsistent results (as I did for many years). But, it can be intimidating if you don't know your way around one of these big birds. Truth is, it's not hard or time consuming to roast a turkey. I'll begin with a summary of my tips, followed by a detailed step-by-step tutorial. I'm sharing in this post the simple method I've used numerous times that results in awesome, juicy turkeys every time. If you're a turkey cooking pro with a method for roasting consistently great turkeys, well, kudos to you-keep doin' what you're doin'! This post is for beginners who've never cooked a turkey and for those who have roasted turkeys in the past with unsatisfactory results and don't know why. She understood how to roast a turkey that remains moist while being completely cooked throughout. I now roast my turkey Mom's way with a few tweaks I've learned along the way.Īdmittedly, there is more than one way to successfully roast a turkey. I should have just left well enough alone and cooked my turkeys the way my mom did. Those celebrity chefs have nothing on her. In end, I've learned from them all, but none more than my mom. I've tried methods recommended by Alton Brown, Ina Garten, Martha Stewart and more. I've brined, basted, not basted, cooked the whole bird in a bag, stuffed, unstuffed, dry rubbed-always in pursuit of the perfect roast turkey. I've bought turkeys that were fresh, frozen, kosher, pre-brined, self-basting, young, organic, big, small. Skip the photo tutorial - Jump straight to the recipeĪfter 35+ years of roasting turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, I've tried pretty much everything. When fully cooked, remove turkey from oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest undisturbed for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 60 minutes. These times are ballpark and can vary that's why using a thermometer is important for determining exactly when the turkey is done. An 18 pound turkey takes closer to 4 hours. It should take a 14-16 pound turkey a total of 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours to cook. 13 minutes cooking time per pound is a good estimate. Also check thickest part of breast-it should be 160 degrees. Use an instant read thermometer to check temperature of other thigh. This may or may not be necessary, depending on individual ovens-some cook more evenly than others.) When thigh temperature reaches 165 to 170 degrees, remove from oven. (TIP: To avoid over-browning on top, keep an eye on the turkey in the last hour and loosely tent it with aluminum foil if it's browned enough before the desired internal temperature is reached. Return turkey to oven and set thermometer monitor alarm to sound at 165 degrees. Insert a remote probe thermometer into thickest part of thigh. Remove from oven and flip turkey over so it is breast side up. After 1 hour, lower heat to 350 degrees and cook for an additional hour for turkeys 14 pounds or larger (45 minutes for smaller turkeys). TO COOK THE TURKEY: Place in 400 degree oven uncovered. Brush with olive oil so entire turkey is coated. Flip turkey over, breast side down, onto rack in roasting pan. Pat turkey dry with a paper towel and brush breast side all over with olive oil. Tuck wing tips under turkey body, using them to hold skin over neck cavity in place. Insert remaining onion quarter under skin covering neck cavity. Overlap skin at cavity opening to cover as much of gap as possible use toothpicks or small turkey skewers, if needed, to hold skin in place. Stuff the cavity with lemon, onion (reserving one onion quarter), and herbs. Add salt and pepper to the turkey cavity and rub with hand to distribute inside cavity. (These can be discarded or used to make broth for gravy or soup.) If turkey has a metal or plastic clamp holding the legs together, remove and discard it. TO PREP THE TURKEY: Remove neck and giblets from turkey main and neck cavities. Coat roasting pan and rack with cooking spray and set aside. Remove turkey from refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |