(Adapted from the BC Turkey Marketing Board)
Turkey is one of today’s best meat buys nutritionally and economically. The low fat content in turkey accounts for the little shrinkage in meat after roasting. A defrosted whole turkey requires only a few minutes to prepare for roasting. Follow these three simple steps to a beautiful golden brown, ready-to-carve, mouthwatering turkey!
1. Thawing: (if turkey is not
frozen begin with Step 2)
NEVER THAW TURKEY AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
- leave turkey in original package and follow one of these methods.
a) Fast Method: Place wrapped frozen turkey in sink and cover
completely with cold water. Allow ½ hour per pound of
turkey. Change water frequently.
b) Regular Method: Place wrapped frozen turkey on a pan in
refrigerator. Allow 5 hours per pound of turkey. (A 20 lb. turkey will
take approximately 4 days to completely thaw.)
Refrigerate or cook turkey immediately once thawed. NEVER refreeze uncooked turkey.
2. Preparation:
Wash hands thoroughly with hot soapy water before and after handling
raw turkey. All materials used for storage, preparation and serving
turkey must also be cleaned before and after use. Remove plastic wrap
from thawed turkey. Remove giblets and neck from body cavity. Rinse
turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Roasting:
Place turkey breast side up in roasting pan. Sprinkle outside and
cavity with poultry seasoning. Insert thermometer into the thickest
part of the thigh, but be careful not to let it touch the bone. Roast
turkey in 325 Deg. F.
(160 Deg. C.)
oven. When the skin of the turkey is golden brown, shield it loosely
with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
How to insert thermometer in
Raw Turkey:
Insert thermometer into inner thigh, just above and not touching thigh
bone.
Roasting Guide:
Please refer to the New Roasting Times for Whole Turkey chart below for
approximate roasting times only. Using a thermometer is recommended. A
number of factors affect roasting time. These include the type of oven,
the temperature of the turkey when roasting begins, the size of the
oven, the shape of the turkey, the pan used, etc. Begin checking for
doneness about one hour before the end of the recommended roasting time.
*New research shows whole turkeys take less time to cook!
For best results use a meat thermometer when roasting turkey. Use these new cooking times to prepare roast turkey that’s moist, tender and delicious.
|
|
|
|
| Stuffed Unstuffed | Unstuffed | |
| 6 - 8 lbs (3.0 - 3.5 kg) | 3 - 3 ¼ hours 2 ½ - 2 ¾ hours | — |
| 8 - 10 lbs (3.5 - 4.5 kg) | 3 ¼ - 3 ½ hours 2 ¾ - 3 hours | 1 ½ hours |
| 10 - 12 lbs (4.5 - 5.5 kg) | 3 ½ -3 ¾ hours 3 - 3 ¼ hours | 1 ¾ hours |
| 12 - 16 lbs (5.5 - 7.0 kg) | 3 ¾ - 4 hours 3 ¼ - 3 ½ hours | 2 hours |
| 16 - 22 lbs (7.0 - 10.0 kg) | 4 - 4 ½ hours 3 ½ - 4 hours | — |
Your
turkey is done when:
a meat thermometer in the inner thigh reads 180 F (82
C) for a stuffed turkey
a meat thermometer in the inner thigh reads 170 F (77
C) for an unstuffed turkey.
When cooked to perfection the turkey meat and juices may have a slight
pink tinge. The temperature of the meat is the most important sign of
doneness.
When the turkey is done remove it from the oven or barbecue. Cover it with foil and let it stand for 15-20 minutes before carving.
*Diversified Research for the Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency 1994
Stuffing:
Stuffing is most easily prepared separately and placed in a covered
casserole dish to cook during the last hour of the turkey roasting
time. For those who prefer to stuff their turkey follow these
directions:
Prepare stuffing and spoon into body cavity just before roasting. Do not pack stuffing - let it sit loosely in cavity to promote even cooking.Never stuff your turkey the day before it is roasted. It takes too long to heat the centre of the chilled stuffing and food spoilage organisms could accumulate.
Posted at November 22, 2003 09:30 PMYou can ping this entry by using http://www.ismckenzie.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/1859 .