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.
Roast bird is very easy to make it is just a bit time consuming. An unstuffed turkey weighing twelve pounds will have to be in the oven for around two and a half to 180minutes and a larger turkey up to twenty lbs will cook for up to five hours. Getting the bird ready to cook does not take much time at all.
Frozen turkey is available in most grocery 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 lb 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.
Leave the packaging on the turkey until you are ready to cook it. Once the packaging is removed you will see plastic or metal objects that hold the legs together. Take those off before you put your turkey in the oven. Look in the cavity where you will find the neck and giblets. You will find them inside a bag most of the time so just take them out and put them aside. They can be boiled down to create a turkey stock for gravy or some people cook them and give them to their dogs and cats.
Wash the turkey 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 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 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 turkey are rosemary and thyme. Pour 1 or 2 cups water in the pan, not over the turkey 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.
The internal temperature of the turkey is important so make sure to use a meat thermometer. You can use the type that is inserted when the bird comes out of the oven or use one that is made to go in the oven and stay in while the bird cooks. Both types should be poked into the thigh of the bird to get an accurate temperature. Small birds need to be in the oven threehours, fourteen pound birds stay in three and three fourths hours, up to 20 lbers can go four and one half hours, and 25 or more pounds five hours. The reading on the thermometer needs to be'0 degrees F and you will know it is safe to eat. Should the top of your turkey seem to get too brown during the cooking process you can cover with foil to protect it. Baste the bird with the juices in the pan once the meat thermometer reaches 150 degrees and baste it every 20 minutes.
Make sure to let the bird 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.
Roast bird is very easy to make it is just a bit time consuming. An unstuffed turkey weighing twelve pounds will have to be in the oven for around two and a half to 180minutes and a larger turkey up to twenty lbs will cook for up to five hours. Getting the bird ready to cook does not take much time at all.
Frozen turkey is available in most grocery 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 lb 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.
Leave the packaging on the turkey until you are ready to cook it. Once the packaging is removed you will see plastic or metal objects that hold the legs together. Take those off before you put your turkey in the oven. Look in the cavity where you will find the neck and giblets. You will find them inside a bag most of the time so just take them out and put them aside. They can be boiled down to create a turkey stock for gravy or some people cook them and give them to their dogs and cats.
Wash the turkey 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 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 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 turkey are rosemary and thyme. Pour 1 or 2 cups water in the pan, not over the turkey 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.
The internal temperature of the turkey is important so make sure to use a meat thermometer. You can use the type that is inserted when the bird comes out of the oven or use one that is made to go in the oven and stay in while the bird cooks. Both types should be poked into the thigh of the bird to get an accurate temperature. Small birds need to be in the oven threehours, fourteen pound birds stay in three and three fourths hours, up to 20 lbers can go four and one half hours, and 25 or more pounds five hours. The reading on the thermometer needs to be'0 degrees F and you will know it is safe to eat. Should the top of your turkey seem to get too brown during the cooking process you can cover with foil to protect it. Baste the bird with the juices in the pan once the meat thermometer reaches 150 degrees and baste it every 20 minutes.
Make sure to let the bird 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.
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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