When Thanksgiving is rolling around, people are getting ready to bring the turkey from the fridge to the table. As you are not preparing this seasoned recipe every day, so you may need a little help regarding cooking time, proper temperature, and the best way to bake. Here are some useful turkey cooking tips to deliver a delicious, perfectly-seasoned bird.
Shop the best turkey
The first thing you need to do is to shop smartly. It is the rule of thumb while cooking a turkey. You need a half-pound of turkey for each guest. It doesn’t mean that you have to buy one giant size turkey for all of your guests. You can buy more than one turkey according to your requirements. King size turkey may take a longer time to cook and tend to dry out in the oven. Dry turkey may not taste good. So keep it in the mind while purchasing the turkey.
Defrost it properly
You need to place the frozen turkey on a rimmed baking sheet. It will help you to catch any juices from it. You need enough time to defrost it. If you don’t have much time, you can keep it on a cold water bath. For this purpose, you have to fill your sink or a large bowl with cold water. Then keep the packed frozen turkey in it. As the breast side contains the most meat so keep this side down. You can change the water every hour to make the process faster.
Prepare it for basting
Basting will help you to make the turkey brown evenly. If you want to make the skin nice and crispy, then you have to reconsider basting properly. It also makes the bird more juicy and yummy. You can rub the turkey with olive oil or butter whatever you prefer. Then place it for roasting. This process will give you the same crispy-skin effect.
Keep the oven door closed
If you open the oven door frequently, it may reduce the temperature and can result in an uneven roasting. It will also take a longer time to cook a turkey. So you need to avoid this as much as you can. If you need to check the turkey, then take the pan out of the oven and keep the door closed. After checking the progress you can return the turkey to the oven.
Cook the turkey fully
You need to make sure that your turkey is cooked completely. You can put an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the bird. Don’t keep the thermometer in the bone as it may give you inappropriate reading. You have to let the bird rest at least for 30 minutes. It will allow the meat to retain its juices and stay moist when carved.
So follow the above tips and prepare the best turkey for your dinner guest who will gobble up after enjoying it.