Sandra Keros
Every year at Thanksgiving it's time to roast the big bird - turkey, that is. After 15 years of making Thanksgiving for my family, I've learned a trick or two, which I hope will help you. (For the full recipe, please go to the recipe section on my website.):
1.
Buy the best bird you can afford. Better living conditions = better flavor
and no need for brine. I usually go organic (of course!) and buy it from
a farm or
source I know and trust because I know the birds have been outside and therefore I get more flavor and nutrients like vitamins A and D. If you're financially strapped then try either game hens, just the turkey breast, a free-range bird from a local farmer or an organic turkey from a chain supermarket.
2.
Don't stuff the bird. Growing up in my family, this would have been considered sacrilege, but now that I'm cooking the turkey, I enjoy the shorter cooking time and juicier meat (and everybody loves it too). When you stuff a bird, it takes longer for the stuffing to come up to a safe temperature, so it's easy to overcook the meat. I simply make a wild rice & mushroom dressing on the side and bake it with extra melted butter on top...mmmm...
3.
Oil the rack. Do this before you place the bird on top so the skin doesn't stick. Thank you.
4.
Oven temperature: first high, then low. Calculate how much time you need to roast your turkey. When you buy it, the vendor - or the packaging - should tell you. The first 30 minutes should be at 425 degrees F then the rest of the time should go on at 325 degrees F.
5.
Roast breast side down first, then flip it up. Use the power of gravity to get the juices flowing into the breast for the first 30 minutes at 425 F by having it face down. Then, when you go to turn the temp down to 325, flip it breast side up. How do I do it? With an old, clean pair of oven mitts used only for this purpose. Simple as that.
6.
Baste that bird! If you don't already have a separate kitchen timer (and with everything you'll have going on you'll need one) GET ONE. Baste the bird every 30 minutes using a large, shallow long spoon or turkey baster.
7.
Place vegetables on the bottom of the turkey roasting pan. Make sure veggies are cut to approximately the same size and/or thickness - about 2"-3" long and no more than 1" thick - for even cooking. If you cut them too small they will burn, baby, burn. Veggies can include large whole garlic cloves, onion chunks, carrots and celery. This will make your gravy groova-licious!
8.
Make homemade broth using the giblets. OMG, don't throw those giblets away! Make a nice-a broth-a with it on the top of the stove in a medium-sized saucepan while the turkey is roasting. Check out my site for more details and my totally delish, no-fail gravy recipe.
9.
Take the temperature the last hour and half hour of cooking. Sometimes, turkeys can surprise us by being done early, especially if your oven is new or unfamiliar to you. Use a standard thermometer like the kind the sell at Ace Hardware and stick it into the thigh and breast. For temperatures and tips on when it's done, go to the Thanksgiving turkey recipe on my website.
10.
Rest the bird before carving. Yes, the bird MUST rest for at least 20 minutes before you carve it. Why? It allows all those fabulous juices to seep into the meat in all the right places so that when you enjoy your first bite you and your guests will be ever-more-thankful for all your delicious effort.
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