Roasted turkey is one of the "queens" of the festive table. In many countries this dish is traditional and being able to cook it is one of the skills of the “ideal housewife”. As with many "ceremonial" dishes, the complexity of this process is somewhat exaggerated. It is enough to try it once, and you will find that roasting a turkey is not much more difficult than roasting a chicken.
It is necessary
-
- turkey;
- vegetable or butter;
- dry or fresh herbs;
- spice;
- oven;
- baking sheet;
- foil.
Instructions
Step 1
There is not much difference in the taste of chilled or frozen poultry if you buy it at the supermarket. Fresh turkey is sold in stores chilled, which means, even if it is imperceptible, the ice crystals, which lead to the fact that the meat will be somewhat drier, have already formed. Farmed turkeys are fatter and can be fed with a variety of herbs and grains, which will give interesting flavors.
Step 2
Frozen poultry should be purchased 3-5 days before serving in order to be able to defrost it properly. Correct defrosting is one that does not promote the development of bacteria. It is best to defrost poultry slowly in the refrigerator. Calculate the defrosting time as follows - 1 kg of poultry is thawed for about 12 hours. For 4 people it is enough to cook a small bird weighing 3-4 kg, for 12 guests it is better to buy a 9-10 kg turkey.
Step 3
It's a bad idea to cook a stuffed turkey for the first time. Due to the shape of the cavity inside the poultry, the filling cannot cook evenly, moreover, by the time it is exactly ready, some parts of the turkey will be overcooked and dry. To cook a stuffed turkey, you need to have some experience with this bird.
Step 4
Turkey meat has a rather restrained taste and aroma, moreover, it is not very juicy. White meat cooks much faster than dark meat, and when the thighs are ready, the breast is already hopelessly dry, if not burnt. To avoid this and give the bird extra flavor and aroma, use one of four well-known methods.
Step 5
Rubbing in fragrant oil - The easiest way to make your bird juicier is to rub butter into it. Better yet, spread small pieces of butter under the turkey's skin. You can do this with flavored butter - mixed with chopped fresh herbs, lemon juice, spices, honey, or maple syrup.
Step 6
Injection With the help of a special syringe, you can inject various aromatic mixtures based on vegetable oil or broth directly into poultry meat. As a rule, they take olive oil and mix it with lemon or garlic juice, or use it already flavored with various spices. The broth is heated over low heat with herbs or roots - rosemary, thyme, ginger.
Step 7
Brine is one of the best methods to add juiciness to the whole carcass. Put the bird in a vessel with water and salt (for 1 liter of water about 250 g of salt) and keep in the refrigerator overnight, then rinse the turkey, dry and rub with an oil or honey spice-aromatic mixture for aroma and a beautiful crust.
Step 8
Dry Herbs This method is similar to the first, but instead of oil, rub a mixture of salt and various dry herbs into the bird. The turkey won't get juicier, but it will benefit in flavor and texture. You can combine these methods.
Step 9
In order for the bird to bake evenly, it must be properly placed in the brazier. Pull the wings forward and tuck them under the turkey's chest. Tie the legs together. Place the poultry in a baking dish, breast side up. Previously, at the bottom of the brazier, you need to put several peeled carrots, celery stalks and onions chopped into large pieces, add a little water. Cover the poultry breast with a piece of foil. It will need to be removed about an hour before the bird is ready.
Step 10
Roast the turkey in the oven at 160 ° C. Bake for 15-20 minutes for every 0.5 kg of poultry.
Step 11
When the turkey is cooked, remove it from the oven, cover with foil and let sit for 20-40 minutes. This will allow the juices to completely saturate the meat and make a delicious sauce for you.
