‘Tis the season of joy, or so they say! Yet, if you’re new to the kitchen or the thought of preparing a whole turkey feels overwhelming, the Christmas dinner journey can be a bit daunting. Fear not! Below, we’ve gathered some tips that aim to ease the stress of Christmas turkey cooking. Should you seek guidance or additional information, feel free to reach out or consult one of our skilled butchers. We’re here to make your festive cooking experience as smooth as possible! 🎄👨🍳
- Figure out what you need: When deciding on the size of your turkey, think of how many people you’re cooking for and whether you want any leftovers. Remember children eat less than adults. Here’s a guide to the size of turkey you’ll need depending on the size of your group.
- 4-6 people: a 3-4 kg turkey
- 6-8 people: a 4-5 kg turkey
- 8-10 people: a 5-6 kg turkey
- Buying and Storing your Turkey: buy or collect your turkey as close to Christmas as possible and store it in your fridge as soon as you get home. Store your turkey in the bottom of the fridge away from other cooked foods and fresh produce to avoid cross contamination.
- Preparing your Turkey:
- Never wash your turkey as this can spread bacteria around your kitchen through drips, drops and splashes. Note that our turkeys are oven-ready so they don’t need to be cleaned.
- Handle your turkey as little as possible - unpack it directly into a roasting tray. Sit the bird on a bed of vegetables, such as carrots, celery and onion. This creates a wonderful base for making gravy and you can keep the cooking juices from the roasting tin to make your gravy – delicious!
- Wash your hands thoroughly - before and after you handle your turkey, wash your hands with warm soapy water and dry with a clean towel.
- Turkey Time Calculator:
Check out this handy calculator tool: https://www.safefood.net/christmas/turkey-cooking-calculator - Safe Stuffing: it is recommended that you cook your stuffing outside the turkey. 🍞 For those opting for a stuffed turkey, ensure the stuffing reaches a minimum internal temperature of 75°C (167°F) Note that stuffed birds need extra cooking time.
- Cooked Temperature: 🌡️ Invest in a meat thermometer to ensure your turkey reaches a minimum internal temperature of 75°C (167°F) at its thickest point.
- Cooking your Turkey: Cover the breast with strips of bacon to help keep the moisture in and add extra flavour. Then:
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees
- While the oven is heating, melt a tablespoon of butter in a pan
- Baste the turkey with the melted butter
- Cover the whole turkey loosely with tin foil and place in the hot oven
- Then baste the turkey every hour during the cooking process with the juices coming out of it
- About half an hour before the end of the cooking time, remove the foil to allow the turkey skin to brown and become crisp. If the skin is already brown, keep the foil on the turkey to keep it moist
- Is your Turkey Cooked? The best way to check that your turkey is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. The turkey is ready when the temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 75°C instantly – as soon as it is inserted. If you have stuffed the cavity of the turkey, then the centre of the stuffing should also read 75°C. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, pierce the thickest part of the breast meat (between the leg and breast) with a clean fork or skewer and check that you can answer ‘yes’ to these 3 questions:
- Are the juices running clear?
- Is there no pink meat?
- Is the turkey piping hot all the way through?
- If the turkey is stuffed, check that the stuffing itself is piping hot all the way through to the centre.
- Resting Time: don’t rush to carve a stuffed turkey. Always allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes before you serve, but not much longer. Cover it loosely with tin foil and then with a couple of tea towels to ensure the bird can rest without losing too much heat. This also allows all the juice to be reabsorbed back into the bird for a moist turkey.
- Carving your Turkey: A large turkey can be intimidating if you have never cooked one before, so here’s how to carve it with confidence:
- Make sure your knife is very sharp
- Hold the turkey secure with a large fork
- Cut the skin between the thigh and the breast
- Bend the thigh outwards, cut through the hip joint, removing whole leg
- Separate the thigh from the drumstick
- Cut towards wing, cut through the wing joint
- Hold the fork against the side of the breast
- Slice evenly starting at the neck cavity
- Lift the slices off with the fork and knife
Source: https://www.safefood.net/christmas/turkey-cooking-calculator
Brady's Butchers 