The turkey is the center piece for any Thanksgiving dinner. Whether you are preparing to host your first Thanksgiving dinner or you’re an old pro, it never hurts to pick up a new trick or two! I am complied a few foolproof tips to cooking the perfect turkey. I hope you find these tips helpful when preparing your meal.
Do You Have the Tools?
The first step to the perfect bird is having all of the right tools to make the magic happen. You will need:
- A heavy duty roasting pan.
- A rack to go inside of the roasting pan.
- Aluminum foil to cover the turkey.
- A basting brush to brush the turkey with melted butter.
- A baster for basting the turkey with the juices from the pan.
- A fine sieve for straining the pan juices for the gravy.
- A wire whisk for your gravy to prevent lumps.
- A good quality set of carving knives.
- A meat thermometer.
Follow These Simple Steps:
Step One: Choosing A Turkey
When selecting your turkey size, think of the amount of people you are going to be feeding. If you have a smaller crowd, you can choose a turkey that weighs less than 14 lbs. Usually, smaller turkeys tend to be more tender compared to the larger ones. If you have a lot of guests coming, think about cooking two small turkeys rather than a big one.
Step Two: Thawing the Turkey
If your turkey was frozen when purchased, you need make sure to let your turkey thaw out completely before cooking. The turkey will thaw out within a few days in the fridge – approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey. For a quicker thawing method, you can place the bird into a cold-water bath and change the water every 30 minutes until it is thawed.
Step Three: Brine the Turkey
Soaking the bird overnight in a solution of salt and water ensures that you will have moist results. The salt draws out the blood, which intern cleanses the bird and breaks down the meat. This is an extremely crucial step especially if you purchase your turkey frozen, and you choose to not thaw in the refrigerator. Doing this step will greatly improve the flavor of the bird.
Step Four: The Stuffing
It is a good rule of thumb to cook the stuffing separately from the turkey. When you cook the stuffing inside of the turkey, it takes the turkey longer to cook as well as dries out the meat. Try preparing the stuffing inside the oven besides the turkey or cooking on a stove top. Your stuffing will be perfect, and your turkey will be moist and delicious.
Step Five: Carving
When carving your turkey, remove the wings and legs first. Remove each breast half from the bone in one piece, and thinly slice each half crosswise. Cut each leg at the joint, and then carve the meat from the thigh and the drumstick.
These five easy steps can help make you the star of your holiday meal. The turkey will be cooked to perfection and taste fantastic, and will have your friends and family talking about it for the rest of the year.
The team at First World Mortgage Corporation wishes you and your family a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!
