Here it is turkey time again, and almost no one remembers the basics. After all, it’s a long time between turkeys.
Ready for your brushup?
* When buying a turkey, allow 1 pound per person. If you buy a frozen stuffed turkey, allow 1 1/2 to 2 pounds per person. Frozen breast of turkey weighs from 2 to 9 pounds; allow 3/4 pound per person. Boneless breast of turkey weighs 2 3/4 to 3 1/2 pounds; allow 1/2 pound per person.
* If you buy fresh turkey, it should be cooked within two days.
* To thaw turkey in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours thawing for each 5 pounds. A 12 to 16 pound turkey takes 2 to 3 days; a 20-pounder may take 4 days. Do not thaw it at room temperature; by the time the center thaws, the surface gets warm enough for bacteria to grow. To thaw it faster, place turkey, in its wrapper, under cool water in a sink. Change water every 30 minutes or so. Allow 30 minutes thawing time for each pound. A thawed turkey can be kept in the refrigerator for two days before cooking.
* To thaw in the microwave, leave turkey in its covering. Place in oven breast side up, on defrost (medium-low) for 5 minutes per pound. Rotate half-way through. Then turn breast down and microwave on defrost (medium-low) for 2 minutes per pound. Then submerge in cold water in sink for 7 minutes per pound. If you want to cook it immediately, use a conventional oven. If you want to cook it in the microwave, refrigerate it overnight, or you may get uneven cooking because of cold spots in the turkey.
* If you must, you may refreeze a partially thawed turkey, as long as the neck and giblets remain frozen.
* If you have to cook a solidly frozen turkey, put it in a shallow pan in a 325 degree oven, uncovered. Allow 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours for a 12 to 16 pound turkey, 8 to 9 1/3 hours for a 16 to 20 pound turkey. Other than esthetically, it won’t hurt that the neck and giblets were roasted inside.
* Don’t stuff the turkey the night before; that gives bacteria a chance to grow. You can refrigerate the wet ingredients for stuffing and assemble the dry ingredients on the counter. Combine them and stuff the turkey just before putting it into the oven.
* Allow 3/4 cup of stuffing for each pound of turkey. Extra stuffing may be baked in a covered casserole at 325 degrees for 45 minutes; spoon on some turkey drippings for flavor during baking.
* Reheating a whole turkey takes almost as much time as the original roasting. You can roast and carve the bird the day before, and reheat the meat, covered with foil, in a 325 degree oven for 35 minutes. Or cover the sliced turkey with plastic wrap and reheat in the microwave for 10 minutes on medium high (70% power).
* Turkey, especially the white meat, tends to shred if you carve it as soon as the turkey comes from the oven. Let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving.
* Turkey is done when it reaches 180 degrees in the inner thigh. Stuffing should reach at least 165; the stuffing temperature will rise a few degrees after the turkey is removed from the oven. Another test is to poke the inner thigh with a fork; the juices run clear, not pink, when turkey is done.
* Ordinary brown bags are not recommended for roasting; they may not be sanitary. Oven-cooking bags, sold in markets, may be used. This moist-heat method produces a moist but less attractive bird.
* A covered roaster shortens cooking time, but turkey tastes more steamed than roasted.
* Basting is not necessary. Also, opening the oven to baste prolongs cooking time. Brush turkey with vegetable oil at the beginning; butter or margarine may produce blotches.
* Leftover turkey will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Stuffing and gravy should be used within 1 or 2 days, or frozen.
* If you have a spill in the oven, sprinkle salt on it. It will be easier to wipe up later. A sprinkle of cinnamon on it helps cover the burning smell. (One woman who called the Turkey Hotline last year was so aghast at the mess when turkey and sweet potatoes spilled over that she bought a new oven rather than face the cleaning.)
ROAST TURKEY
Remove neck and giblets. Rinse turkey inside and out with cool water, drain well, then stuff if desired. If it’s not self-basting, rub surface with vegetable oil. Place breast up on rack in shallow pan in preheated 325 degree oven. When golden brown, tent the breast loosely with foil to prevent over-browning. Roast until meat thermometer inserted in inner part of thigh reaches 180 to 185 degrees, or stuffing reaches 165 degrees. Let turkey stand, loosely tented with foil, for 20 minutes before carving. The chart is only a guideline; begin testing an hour before you’d expect the bird to be done. Variations in ovens and in turkeys make cooking time impossible to predict to the minute.
If your bird comes with a chart, follow it.
For 6 to 8-pound turkey, allow 2 1/4 to 3 1/4 hours (unstuffed) or 3 to 3 1/2 hours stuffed; for 8 to 12-pounds allow 3 to 4 hours unstuffed or 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours stuffed; for 12 to 16-pounder allow 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 unstuffed or 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours stuffed; for 16 to 20 pounds allow 4 to 5 hours unstuffed, 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 stuffed, and for 20 to 24 pounds allow 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours unstuffed or 6 1/2 to 7 hours stuffed.
ROAST TURKEY BREAST
If desired, place stuffing in the cavity, then put foil under stuffing so it won’t fall out. Place on rack in shallow roasting pan, rub with vegetable oil and roast uncovered at 325 degrees until it reaches 175 degrees on a meat thermometer. Tent loosely with foil if it browns too fast. A 4 to 6-pound turkey breast takes 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.
MICROWAVE TURKEY
A 12-pounder is the biggest turkey that will fit most microwave ovens. Make a browning sauce of 1/2 stick melted butter, margarine or oil, 1/4 teaspoon paprika and 1/8 teaspoon browning liquid, such as Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet. Or make an herb basting sauce of 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon each dried rosemary, parsley, thyme and sage with 1/2 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet.
Rub turkey with the sauce and repeat several times during cooking.
Make a small slit in back of turkey to release steam. Place breast side down in 12×7-inch baking dish. Cover with a tent of greased waxed paper. For unstuffed turkey, microwave at high for 9 to 11 1/2 minutes for 6 to 8 pounder, 12 to 15 minutes for 8 to 10-pounds and 15 to 19 minutes for a 10 to 12-pound turkey. Turn turkey breast-side up. Brush with more basting sauce. Give dish a half turn if you don’t have a turntable.
Shield wings, ends of drumsticks and top of breast with small pieces of foil if those areas are browning faster than rest of bird. Secure foil with wooden picks if necessary; foil should not touch oven.
Cover with tent of waxed paper. Microwave at 50% (medium) for 45 to 65 minutes for 6 to 8-pounds, 65 to 75 minutes for 8 to 10-pounder, and 70 to 90 minutes for 10 to 12 pounder, or until juices run clear when turkey thigh is pierced with a fork.
A microwave thermometer should register 185 degrees. Give dish a half turn twice during the 50% cooking time. When done, brush with more sauce and cover with foil. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. A 6 to 8-pound turkey breast will take 16 to 18 minutes on high, then 60 to 65 minutes at medium, then 3 to 5 minutes standing time.
