Quick Turkey Tips
1. Stay close to nature for you and your family: Buy an organic, free range, unfrozen turkey.
Freezing anything alive changes the ability if cells to retain water, thus your turkey will lose more water as it cooks. Buy fresh, unfrozen if you can; your loved are worth it.
2. If timing is not your talent, do the following:
Cook your turkey until it is 80% done.
Forget the little button that pops up — use a meat thermometer. The button will always overcook the bird because they must ensure that the temperature will be very high to cover any lawsuits that could arise from undercooked birds.
After your turkey is 80% done, wrap in saran wrap and then foil. By sealing in the heat, you will cook the finish the bird an additional 10%. Then, 15 minutes before serving, baste the turkey and cook at a high temperature (475 degrees) uncovered. The skin of your turkey will be crisp and your turkey will be completely cooked.
3. Preparing your turkey
Remove turkey from plastic, drain blood and rub with kosher salt and fresh pepper. Place in refrigerator uncovered for a few hours. In this time, the turkey will age and the skin will become taught, leaving flavor. When you are ready to season your turkey, it should be slightly hard on the outside. This will help create a crisp turkey.
While the turkey is aging, stuff the cavity with the following:
fresh California laurel leaves
whole garlic, UN-peeled, cut in half
whole shallots, UN-peeled, cut in half
whole black and white peppercorns
fresh thyme sprigs,
fresh rosemary sprigs
As the bird ages in the refrigerator, the cavity will pull in the flavors of these items.
After several hours of aging in the refrigerator, you will begin to season the turkey. At this time you should remove the spices from the cavity and place them in a stockpot with cold water. This will be the beginning of your gravy.
Season the outside of your bird with the following:
one cup clarified butter
2 Tbsp. minced rosemary
2 Tbsp. minced thyme
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. minced sage
1 Tbsp. fresh grind black pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
2 Tbsp. coarsely ground pine nuts
1 tsp. ground cumin
Add butter and/or oil to achieve a consistency as thick as pancake batter.
Make this several days before. Massage your turkey with this mixture
4. Preparing the roasting pan
Layer washed, bias-cut vegetables in the bottom of your roasting pan. Use twice as many onion as carrots and celery. Lightly toss vegetables in a small amount of marinade and layer in the bottom of the roasting pan.
Place an oval, porcelain or non-metallic plate upside down in the dead center of the roasting pan. Place the turkey upside down on the plate and place in the oven. This should elevate the bird away from the vegetables. Season the bird again for good luck. Add fresh ground pepper and a small amount of water or poultry stock to the pan.
5. Cooking your turkey
Determine the necessary cooking time for your turkey. It will take 2 1/4 hours to cook an 18 lb. turkey to 80% of completion in a 375-degree oven.
Split the cooking time into thirds. (For example: 2 1/4 hours = 50 minutes.)
Cook the turkey for 50 minutes upside down.
Carefully, turn it over. Be careful not to upset the skin (it might stick slightly to the plate.)
Cook the turkey for the next 50 minutes covered, right side up.
Cook the turkey for the last 50 minutes, uncovered to crisp the skin.
Note: Different ovens will be hotter than others. Some turkeys will be colder than others. Remember, when you open your oven to look at your turkey, you are lowering the oven temperature. Use a meat thermometer!
When your turkey is 80% cooked, the temperature should read 150- 155 degrees in the center of the breast. If you hit the sternum, you will get a hotter reading: bones hold heat better than muscle. Place the thermometer in the area where the carcass connects to the hip joint. This is one of last areas to become fully cooked.
Happy Thanksgiving!
MATC Home / Food Service Courses / Culinary Courses / Culinary Program / Baking & Pastry Arts Program / Recipes
For more information, email mhill@matcmadison.edu
Last modified : Thursday, October 3, 2002
Quick Turkey Tips |
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1. Stay close to nature for you and your family: Buy an organic, free range, unfrozen turkey.Freezing anything alive changes the ability if cells to retain water, thus your turkey will lose more water as it cooks. Buy fresh, unfrozen if you can; your loved are worth it. 2. If timing is not your talent, do the following:Cook your turkey until it is 80% done. After your turkey is 80% done, wrap in saran wrap and then foil. By sealing in the heat, you will cook the finish the bird an additional 10%. Then, 15 minutes before serving, baste the turkey and cook at a high temperature (475 degrees) uncovered. The skin of your turkey will be crisp and your turkey will be completely cooked. 3. Preparing your turkeyRemove turkey from plastic, drain blood and rub with kosher salt and fresh pepper. Place in refrigerator uncovered for a few hours. In this time, the turkey will age and the skin will become taught, leaving flavor. When you are ready to season your turkey, it should be slightly hard on the outside. This will help create a crisp turkey. While the turkey is aging, stuff the cavity with the following: As the bird ages in the refrigerator, the cavity will pull in the flavors of these items. After several hours of aging in the refrigerator, you will begin to season the turkey. At this time you should remove the spices from the cavity and place them in a stockpot with cold water. This will be the beginning of your gravy. Season the outside of your bird with the following: 4. Preparing the roasting panLayer washed, bias-cut vegetables in the bottom of your roasting pan. Use twice as many onion as carrots and celery. Lightly toss vegetables in a small amount of marinade and layer in the bottom of the roasting pan. Place an oval, porcelain or non-metallic plate upside down in the dead center of the roasting pan. Place the turkey upside down on the plate and place in the oven. This should elevate the bird away from the vegetables. Season the bird again for good luck. Add fresh ground pepper and a small amount of water or poultry stock to the pan. 5. Cooking your turkeyDetermine the necessary cooking time for your turkey. It will take 2 1/4 hours to cook an 18 lb. turkey to 80% of completion in a 375-degree oven. Cook the turkey for 50 minutes upside down. Note: Different ovens will be hotter than others. Some turkeys will be colder than others. Remember, when you open your oven to look at your turkey, you are lowering the oven temperature. Use a meat thermometer! When your turkey is 80% cooked, the temperature should read 150- 155 degrees in the center of the breast. If you hit the sternum, you will get a hotter reading: bones hold heat better than muscle. Place the thermometer in the area where the carcass connects to the hip joint. This is one of last areas to become fully cooked. Happy Thanksgiving! |
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MATC Home / Food Service Courses / Culinary Courses / Culinary Program / Baking & Pastry Arts Program / Recipes For more information, email mhill@matcmadison.edu Last modified : |