Cooking Turkey Tips
How To: Basic Turkey Tips
Thawing:
Still rock hard? Place turkey, in package, breast down, in cold water to
cover. Change water every 30 minutes during recommended thawing time.
To stuff or not to stuff
The debate rages on. I like to stuff the bird, and make sure the stuffing registers 165 in the center. You can bake the stuffing separately.
Is it done yet?
Breast meat should register 165; thighs 175, according to most authorities. There’s carry-over cooking after you remove it from the oven, so the temperature can rise 5-10 degrees. Tent lightly with foil and let rest at least 15 minutes before carving.
Great gravy
I put the chopped giblets, except for the liver, in a small saucepan and add a chopped up celery rib, a small onion, chopped, a few sprigs of parsley and a bay leaf, along with a shake of dried thyme. I cover that with 4-5 cups chicken broth and bring that to a boil. Then I reduce the heat and simmer until the neck meat falls from the bones, about an hour or so. I strain this and use the stock for the gravy. This can be done a day ahead, as well. After the turkey is done, I skim off all the fat from the pan juices and set aside 1/4 cup of the fat. I deglaze the pan by pouring a cup of water (sometimes I’ll use half white wine and water) and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. This flavors the gravy. I strain that and set it aside. Then I warm the reserved fat in a saucepan and sprinkle in a heaping 1/4 cup of flour. I stir it quickly to cook the flour, breaking up any lumps as I go. A whisk works well here. Last, I stir in 4 cups stock (if you don’t have enough, add water) and cook the gravy for a couple of minutes. Sometimes I’ll add more stock to thin it a bit. Season with salt and pepper and you’re ready to go!
Turkey Hot Lines: Butterball: 1-800-Butterball; USDA Hotline: 1-800-535-4555.
Land-O-Lakes Bakeline: 1-800-782-9606.
