Page 430 - YC Cooking School

basting the turkey yourself every 30 minutes or so for the final hour of cooking to get a
perfectly juicy flavour and crispy glazed skin. To baste, pull the tray out of the oven, remove

the foil, gather some juices in a large spoon and pour them over the top of the turkey.

Allow the turkey to get golden brown
For the last hour of cooking, remove the foil to give your turkey a suntan until it turns a
gorgeous bronze colour.

Take a thermometer reading
With a final hour to go, it's also a good time to check the internal temperature of the turkey.
Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat. At 74ºC (165°F), your
turkey will be perfectly cooked.

Check the internal juices for doneness
A final check for doneness is to hold the cooked turkey upright and allow some of the juices
to run from the cavity out onto the roasting tray. If they’re clear, you’ll know the turkey is
cooked and your job is done! If the juices are still a little bloody, the turkey will need more

time in the oven.

Rest the turkey to retain its beautiful juices
Once it’s out of the oven, carefully lift the turkey from the roasting tray using a strong
roasting fork and tilt it so that the juices run out onto the tray. Move the turkey to a platter

and cover it with a double layer of foil and two kitchen cloths to keep it warm while it rests
for at least 30 minutes. This step is absolutely key, as it allows the juices time to settle and
be re-absorbed into the cells of the meat for that extra delicious, rich flavour. If you carve
the turkey before you rest it, you’ll lose a lot of this flavour.

Make your own gravy
Once your turkey is on its resting plate, it’s time to prepare the finishing touch – the gravy
that will make your tender turkey even more succulent. To do this, first separate the juices
from the bits of meat and vegetables in the roasting tray. Once you’ve strained the juices
off, place the tray of meat and vegetables onto a hot stovetop and allow them to caramelise.
You can also thicken the mixture at this point by adding a little flour. Now deglaze the meat
and vegetables with the strained pan juices and allow the gravy to cook on the stovetop
until all the caramelised bits have dissolved.

To finish the sauce, get out your strainer again and separate the gravy from the rest,
squashing the vegetables and meat bits to release as much juice as possible. Finally, taste
your gravy, season as necessary with salt and pepper and finish with a generous knob of
butter. And that’s it – your bird is ready to be devoured!

Cheat sheet for this lesson’s recipes

2/3