Baking or stewing is an eternal dilemma when cooking turkey. A bird turns out to be juicy and tasty only with proper handling. With any method, it takes a long time to cook it, at a low temperature, but the result is worth it.
Choosing a turkey
Both chilled and frozen poultry can be found in stores. Don't be afraid to take the last one. Chances are good that the chilled turkey was frozen recently. Therefore, overpayment does not make much sense.
When frozen, the moisture in the muscles expands and softens them. The meat turns out to be more tender and juicy. In terms of taste, such a turkey even wins. However, freezing reduces the amount of nutrients.
The appearance of the carcass is also important. Spots, obvious bruising and slimy should alert you. A good carcass gives off a smell of freshness, it is elastic and dense to the touch.
The optimal weight of a turkey for cooking is no more than 4 kg. Such a carcass will fit into the oven without any problems and bake well.
Cooking in a saucepan
Try cooking the whole turkey in a saucepan. The dishes must necessarily have thick walls. The so-called goslings are ideal. In this recipe, the filling of sour aromatic fruits plays an important role. The turkey will not have a crispy crust, but you can close your eyes to this, because the meat will turn out to be very juicy and aromatic. The recipe is worth taking note of for those who keep track of calories.
You will need:
- turkey carcass;
- quince or apples for stuffing;
- any fragrant herbs: tarragon, rosemary, oregano, etc.;
- salt and black pepper to taste.
Step by step cooking
Wash the turkey and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the fruit into 2cm cubes and sprinkle with your favorite aromatic herbs. Stuff the carcass with them and place in a saucepan, after pouring a little water on the bottom so that the bird does not burn. Cover and place in oven for a couple of hours. It should have a temperature of no more than 160 ° C.
If you have time, set it to 140 ° C. In this case, the carcass will cook for an hour more.
If desired, add vegetables: potatoes, peppers or asparagus 40 minutes before cooking. They will be an excellent side dish for meat.
Cooking in the marinade
This recipe is for lovers of lean crispy crust. The whole secret lies in the marinade.
You will need:
- turkey carcass;
- adjika for lubrication;
- any spicy herbs;
- 1 orange;
- salt to taste.
Step by step cooking
Wash and pat dry the turkey. Spread it generously with adjika, preferably Abkhazian. Sprinkle with herbs and juice with one orange. Leave the carcass to marinate overnight in the refrigerator. If the turkey was frozen rather than chilled, increase the marinating time to one day.
If desired, you can stuff the carcass with apples, carrots or pumpkin.
Roast the turkey in the oven at a low temperature of 80 ° C. Cook it under these conditions for 5 - 6 hours. Then another 40 minutes, but at 180 ° C. To keep the turkey crispy and browning, coat it with a honey, soy sauce, and starch frosting before raising the temperature.
