How to cook a Christmas dinner - timings and planner for cooking perfect turkey CHRISTMAS DAY is tomorrow which means many will start to prepare or think about cooking … I changed it slightly by stuffing the turky with chopped apples instead of the veggies and put all the veggies in the pan. It was great, so favorful and juicy. Strain the gravy through a fine sieve into a warmed jug. it was sooooooo easy...i didn't even burn myself...lol!!! I highly recommend this turkey recipe! Set your oven to 325°F to cook your bird evenly. I did not have the wine on hand so I substituted it out with chicken broth. The USDA offers a chart to help demystify cooking times based on turkey weight. Definitely the best gravy we've ever had -- which we didn't even need with such a moist, delicious turkey! Place the turkey on the rack in a roasting pan, pat dry, and truss the legs of the turkey … Cook the uncovered turkey for a further 40 minutes – once the bacon on top of the turkey has browned you can push it down into the tin to allow the breast to get a final browning. The brining makes the turkey superbly moist and flavourful. Whether you’re using a fresh or frozen bird, allow it to return to room temperature for before cooking. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. (I don't use the oven bags to cook in though.) For a turkey of this weight, the cooking time should be 3½-4 hrs. Ive done it this way for a few years now, and it works great. NOTE: To avoid spreading bacteria, do not rinse the raw, pre-brined turkey with water. A perfectly seasoned and juicy turkey. I added a smidge of wine to the gravy I made from the drippings and it set it off perfectly. Believe me, it has been tried, tested and tried again. Set the turkey aside to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 1½ hours. The juices go back into the meat. So it's the holidays, and you're responsible for the main dish. This classic turkey technique is perfect for a first-time cook or a seasoned pro. Take your turkey out of the fridge and unwrap at least an hour before cooking. I'm amazed the bird made it to the table! Using a pastry brush or your hands, smear the seasoned butter all over the turkey. Check the turkey is thawed by looking inside the cavity for ice crystals and by pushing the point of a knife into the thickest part of the meat. Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Just a quick tip on how to brine a turkey, especially when your fridge is full of other holiday goodies! A roasting pan with a rack is ideal for cooking a turkey (not to mention other poultry and pork and beef roasts). Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer the bird to a large, deep-sided tray, reserving the roasting tray the turkey was cooked in along with the cooking juices. Add any remaining butter to the roasting tray once the chopped wings and neck have … After learning how to brine the perfect turkey, you need to learn how to cook the perfect turkey. I did not have the wine on hand so I substituted it out with chicken broth. Reduce the oven temperature to 160C/150C Fan/Gas 3. My husband was a serious skeptic of the brining process... until carving time came. An 18 pound bird, for example, roasts in roughly 4.5 hours. Bring the cooking juices to the boil over a medium heat, scraping up any burned bits from the bottom of the tray using a wooden spoon. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving. Remove it from the oven and baste it with the juices, before draping smokey, streaky bacon over the top and baste again. To help you cook that perfect roast turkey this year WITHOUT the stress, I’m sharing my perfect roast turkey recipe. Made it for Thanksgiving and it's the best one and the easiest that I've used. That's because one the main reasons people have problems with under cooked turkey using this slow cook recipe is because they open the oven door during the cooking process. Don't worry; you're only five steps away from serving the perfect bird at your big feast. So it's the holidays, and you're responsible for the main dish. You can also "cold water thaw" it. Smear the butter all over the turkey crown and season all over with salt and pepper. Kim. Put the turkey in the oven and cook for 15 minutes then turn down the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4 and cook for a further: 3kg (6.6lb) – 1¾ hours 4kg (8.8lb) – 2 hours Halve or quarter an orange or clementine. *Definitely* use more vegetables. Keep basting the turkey in its own juices as it cooks. Add comma separated list of ingredients to include in recipe. To cook the perfect turkey, you want to preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. i will never make a turkey another way again!!! For more stress free Christmas recipes head over to my Easy Christmas Dinner Recipes … Put the bagged turkey in a cooler with ice overnight. Your turkey is cooked when the breast meat reaches 170°F and the thighs reaches 180°F. If the turkey is not fully cooked, return it to the oven until the juices run clear. That's because . A tip to make this taste even better is to inject the turkey with an additional flavoring of your choosing. Why deep fry a turkey and have to worry about the safety hazards and all the mess and cleanup? Amount is based on available nutrient data. To Cold Water Thaw: Butter Ball says: Thaw breast side down, in an unopened wrapper, with enough cold water to cover your turkey completely. When you’re almost ready to serve the meal, return the roasting tray used to cook the turkey to the stove top. Powered by the ESHA Research Database © 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved, The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified. Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. My friend from France taught me to cook turkey like this, but she never measures anything so use your own judgment for vegetable amounts, etc. It is important to use a good-quality turkey (as specified in the recipe) because they tend to cook faster. The total cook time will depend on the size of your turkey, so let a meat thermometer be the ultimate judge. Chop all the vegetables into large chunks and place in the bottom of a large baking tray place the turkey on top, the tray should be large enough … I loved this recipe when I made it last year for Christmas, but I have a question...when I turned the bird 2/3 through cooking it fell apart. Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). 3 Steps to the Perfect Turkey {Referral links are used in this post.} Cook From room temperature: If you put a cold turkey in a hot oven you will shock the meat which will immediately toughen it up and dry it out. 1 (18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed. 2. It was gone as fast as lighting. Make your gravy and bake your rolls while it's resting. Get exact roast turkey cooking times with our roast calculator. Cook the turkey, uncovered, in the oven until it is no longer pink at the bone and the juices are clear. Cover the turkey breast with a double layer of aluminum foil. How long to cook your turkey for. Cook From room temperature: If you put a cold turkey in a hot oven you will shock the meat which will immediately toughen it up and dry it out. put your hands in the bags, grab the bird and flip!!! If I have some fresh yams & apples, I'll chunk up a couple inside the bird too with the other veggies. Other handy items include a knife, a small mixing bowl, a saucepan, a meat thermometer, and some paper towels. Tip 1: As is so often the way when it comes to cooking, buying the best quality ingredients that you can afford is key to making this dish taste spectacular. Absolutely amazing. During the cooking process the turkey will absorb the heat from the oven and this absorbed heat will continue to cook the bird as it rests which can increase the internal temperature by up to 10C, depending on the size of the turkey. It's easy to cook, tender and juicy. Cooks Illustrated magazine recommends letting the turkey sit in the refrigerator for several hours uncovered after rinsing off the brine, so that the skin will brown and crisp up. Preheat oven to 325°. Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed. Slow cooking is perfect for cuts such as turkey leg and thigh, which can be slow cooked to absorb flavour and tenderise to such an extent that it just falls off the bone. It was great, so favorful and juicy. I used aluminium foil to cover it for 2/3 of the cooking time. You need to leave the turkey to defrost properly…you should allow 24 hours for every 2kg to 2.5kg which means it could take three days to defrost a 7.5kg turkey! Blackened exterior can also `` cold water of other holiday goodies water mixture 12 hours, or overnight perfect turkey! 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