:Turkey Cooking + TimeScale Guides
Source of Recipe
see below
Recipe Link: http://www.recipetips.com/recipes-collections/turkey-cooking-guide.asp This first parat is from Robyn2 on all easy cookin
I thought this was a rather timely recipe. Robyn2 said she found
this at Mimi's Cyber Kitchen. Although I tried searching for the
orginal, I could not find it, so I am adding it this way.
:Turkey preparations/time scale
Mid afternoon day before you want it:
Start (for the turkey, the mid-afternoon before Xmas/ T'giving) by making a
giblet stock for the gravy.
Giblet Stock:
You may use the neck, and liver, 500g/1 pound meat:
- I personally do not like these and usually will purchase a drumstick and cook that in place of.
1 onion, sliced in half
1 carrot, sliced in half
a few parsley stalks
2 or 3 celery stalks/ ribs (plus a few leaves)
1 bayleaf
6 whole black peppercorns
salt
3 cups/900 ml water
Pick off any yellowish/ green bits and discard. Wash the giblets and put in
a medium/large saucepan with the onion. Cover with the water and bring to
boiling point. Remove surface scum and add remaining ingredients.
Half cover pan with lid and simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Stain stock, if desired, let cool and
store (covered) in refrigerator. Lift any congealed fat off in the morning.
Later on the Eve of day wanted:
Stuffing:
Make desired stuffing. Leave covered in a cool place but (unless in the
tropics, not in the fridge, as you don't want it too cold when it comes to
stuffing the turkey.
see stuffing recipes on side dishes on my page.
the morning of when you want it:
Timings will vary for each family (depending on what time you get up) and
what time the meal is planned to be eaten. The following is for an average size, 14 pound/6.5kg weight turkey (oven ready) for a 2pm lunch. If you plan on
eating earlier or later/ subtract time-difference from times.
Principles of Turkey Cooking:
Here, the turkey is placed in a tent of foil so that it cooks in "an oven
within an oven". Give it plenty of space between flesh and foil so it will
roast in own juices and not become dry. Allow the bird to 'relax' for 30 - 45
minutes before carving. This lets juices settle back into the meat and you
to finish veggies/ other sides/ dessert.
Traditional Roast Turkey
1, 14 poind oven ready turkey
6 ounces softened butter
8 ounces fatty, (repeat) *fatty* streaky bacon
salt and pepper
1 normal amount of stuffing
Stuff the turkey.
Loosen skin at neck end with your hand and pack stuffing in
towards breast. Careful not to break skin. Not too tight as stuffing expands
during cooking. Tuck neck flap under bird's back and secure with a skewer.
Stuff remaining stuffing into cavity of bird.
Tip: add a peeled potato
when finished to stop stuffing oozing out. Secure with skewer(s).
If you have made any extra, grease a pan and place the
remaining stuffing in that, cover with foil and cook. You
may also want to try to baste with a little bit of the stock for a better flavor.
7:45 am: Preheat oven to gas mark 7/425 degrees F/ 220C
Arrange 2 large, extra wide sheets of foil across roasting pan - one
widthwise, one lengthwise - like a cross ...(no need to oil). Lay turkey on
its back in the center and rub turkey generously with butter especially over thigh
bones. Season with salt and pepper and lay the bacon over the breast with the bacon strips
overlapping each other.
Now, wrap turkey LOOSELY in the foil. The idea is to have the parcel firmly
sealed but loose enough to give airspace around the top of the bird. So,
bring one piece of foil up and fold both ends over to make a pleat along the
breastbone. Then, bring the other piece up at both ends and crimp and fold
to make a neat parcel- *** Make sure you leave enough airspace!
8:15 am, working on a 14 pound turkey to be served at 2pm .. Place turkey in
pre heated oven to cook for 40 minutes.
8:55 am, lower oven temp to gas mark 3/ 325 degrees F/170C . take a break . open
newspapers, have a coffee or clean up (?is that a break? .lol); get table set
(if not already)
12:30 pm, increase oven temp to gas mark 6/400 degrees F/200C. Get some help as you
need to remove turkey from the oven. It's hot and it's heavy. OK, you've got
the turkey out of the oven, remove the foil from the tops and sides of the
bird and take off the bacon strips. Baste very thoroughly with a baster or
a ladle. Return to the oven for 30 - 45 minutes to finish browning
(uncovered) - baste as often as you can at this stage. Some people serve the
bacon as "sides" alone, or grind up and cook in with cut green beans as a sidedish.
1:15 pm Remove turkey from oven. Transfer to a warm plate. It'll be OK
(unless you live in a hot climate) to relax in the kitchen temperature for
up to 50 minutes loosely covered with double foil without loosing its heat.
Next pour the stock into a pan and allow to heat gently. Skim off the
excess turkey fat so only the dark juices remain. It's precious and can be used for sauteing your potatoes, etc.
Work 2 level tablespoons of flour into
the juices over a low heat (Note do not add flour if you prefer a "runny"
gravy (au jus) rather than a thickened gravy. If using flour, use a
balloon whisk to stir into stock, little by little, until you have a
smooth gravy. Let it bubble and reduce a little to concentrate the flavour.
Taste for salt and pepper. Pour into a jug and keep warm.
1:45 pm. All hands on deck to carve, serve and dish up. Remember the
stuffing inside the turkey!
Important:
Other Timings:
*For a 8 - 10 pound turkey/3.5 - 4.5kg:
Cook at 30 mins at the high temp and then 2.5 - 3 hrs at the lower temp, then
a final 30 minutes (uncovered) at gas mark 6/ 400 degrees F/200C.
*15 - 20 pound turkey/ 6.75 - 9kg:
45 minutes at high temp, 4 - 5 hours at lower temp, finally 30 minutes uncovered at
gas mark 6/400 degrees F/ 200C.
***NB Please keep in mind that ovens and turkeys vary and the only way of
knowing whether the bird is cooked/ ready is to use the "usual" tests for
"done-ess" for poultry.
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Turkey cooking guide includes:
Buying
Preparing
Method of Cooking
Cooking Times
Safety and Storage
Doneness
Carving
and recipes
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