Roasted Turkey, The Perfect Meal For Christmas Day

Over 80% of British families have oven roasted turkey on Xmas Day. They simply would not have anything else but roast turkey and all the trimmings. It is the commonest meat eaten at Xmas.

In order not to contract salmonella food poisoning turkey must be cooked to a specific interior temperature and if a frozen bird has been chosen it must be well defrosted before cooking.

Most turkeys nowadays come specially prepared, no need for removing the feathers or removing the insides. The first thing that needs to be done is to remove the giblets from the plastic bag inside the bird. These giblets can be boiled in a pan to make a basic meat stock for gravy or stuffing and the liver can be finely chopped and used in stuffing.

A decision must be made as to whether the turkey is going to be stuffed. If this is so a lot more time must be allowed to allow the turkey to be cooked to a specific interior temperature. The legs should not be trussed to the side of the bird as this also increases cooking times. Cover the turkey streaky bacon strips and in foil until the turkey is cooked and only uncover the turkey to allow the skin to brown and crisp. Cooking times will vary greatly, depending on the size of the bird. Consult recipe books.. And don’t fprget the gravy boat for that perfect turkey gravy.

If the dish holding the oven is not large enough the fat and juices will ooze out and make a mess in the oven. Place the turkey on the bottom shelf of the oven. If the turkey is placed in an oven that is too hot, the meat will only cook on the outside and will be raw inside. Light meat does not take as long to cook as dark so the turkey should be placed inside the oven legs first as the back of an oven tends to be hotter. The best cutting boards will hold a full size bird

Before the big day invite family and friends round. On Xmas Eve make sure vegetable and other preparations are in hand. On the day, an early get up is required to get everything under way. Serve the oven cooked turkey dinner and the drinks when guests have arrived and enjoy. Worry about washing the pots later!