Page 13 - IAV Digital Magazine #606

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Everything You Need To Know For A Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey
Preparing
a Thanksgiving tu rkey can feel intimidating, but with a few simple tips, you will have a gorgeous bird that wows guests. The process is time- consuming, how- ever, and
nobody wants to go to all that effort only to cut into a turkey that’s overcooked and dry — or worse, still raw. Follow these tips
for a turkey that’s juicy, tender
and perfectly cooked.
• Brining, the process of sub- merging meat in a saltwater solu- tion, is an easy way to add flavor and protect your turkey from drying out while roast- ing. However, depending on your turkey, you may not need to brine it.
First, check to
make sure your turkey hasn’t been pre-brined. Store-bought turkeys may come with an added saline solution that helps them freeze better. If the ingredient list for your turkey lists any additional ingredients, you can skip brining; otherwise, your turkey will end up unpleasantly salty.
If you have a
large enough ves- sel, you can brine your turkey for up to 24 hours in a mixture of 1/2 cup salt per gallon of water. If you don’t have the space to store a sub- merged turkey, you can also dry- brine turkey by covering it in a crust of salt overnight, which will help improve the moisture lev- els. Rinse the salt away
before roasting.
• Spatchcocking, or butterflying, a turkey helps it cook evenly and in half the time needed for tradi- tional roasting. The technique can look intimi- dating, but it’s fairly straightfor- ward. Place the turkey breast side down on your cut- ting board, then use kitchen shears to cut out the spine. Carefully flip the turkey over and press firmly down on the breast- bone to flatten it. Since spatch- cocking helps all parts of the turkey get equal exposure to heat, they get evenly browned and juicy.
• Count
backward from dinner time. The amount of time your turkey needs to roast depends on whether or not it’s stuffed. A stuffed turkey needs 15 minutes per pound in the oven, while an empty turkey needs a few min- utes less. Decide
what time you want to serve din- ner, then count backward to fig- ure out what time the bird needs to go in the oven.
•Letitcometo room tempera- ture. Take your turkey out of the fridge up to an hour before you plan to start cook- ing it. Make sure all packaging has been removed as well as any giblets in the neck and body cavities. Place the turkey breast side up on
the roasting
pan to let it slight- ly warm up and dry out for more even cooking and crispier skin.
• Cover during roasting. Cover the turkey loosely with foil after about two-thirds of the cooking time has elapsed. This will keep the surface from burning or drying out while allowing the rest of the turkey to stay moist.
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