Turkey Time 

 If you live anywhere in the world where the seasons change, except you lucky Australians ( aka southern hemisphere dwellers), it’s officially fall. 

Summer is my favourite season but the food in fall makes me drool.   I started chatting with my cousins about what we are going to contribute to our upcoming Greco-Canadian Thanksgiving feast, and it reminded me that you might also be pondering the same question.    

First off, let me say, I’m not a big turkey lover. I love the look of it and all the warm and fuzzy family gatherings but I’d rather have braised duck with quince and pinot noir or fennel seed spiced porchetta with that crispy skin but I have made many great birds in my day and I’ve been vetoed , so here are some tips that I use to make a perfectly cooked turkey.      

How big?: Count on 1 lb raw turkey weight per guest. Believe it or not you lose 50 % of turkey weight to bones etc. I always count 2 kids as 1 guest. I try not to stress too much about enough turkey. I have never run out and we always make a ton of other dishes.  

Fresh vs/ Frozen: I prefer fresh birds as they are usually aged a couple of days before being shipped. This will make the bird more flavourful and tender. I look for free range or ( if your budget permits) organic. I'm not a fan of the pre-basted variety. It’s better to add your own butter than try to buy one that’s already injecting with a variety of unknowns. 

Thawing Time:  This one can absolutely mess everything up if you don’t get it right. If you opt for a frozen bird, count on 1 full day of thawing in the fridge per 5 lbs of bird. Never thaw at room temperature.   If you’re in a bind, a quick fix is to thaw in a cold water bath, changing the water every hour. Keep the bird in the plastic and count on 1 hour / lb. It’s tedious, but it works .   The bird must be completely thawed before roasting. Make sure to remove the giblets pack inside the cavity before roasting.

Temperature :    I’ve had best success at 325D F. Since today’s birds are bred with larger breast weight, they usually take about 12- 15 min per lb. A meat thermometer is the only way to ensure the proper temperature.   If using a heat safe thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the thigh closest to the body but not touching the bone at the beginning of roasting. An instant read, is just for checking temperature and must be removed. Internal temperature should read 175D D in the thickest part of the thigh.

The temperature will climb to 180 while you rest the turkey for at least 20 minutes for best carving results. 

To stuff or not to stuff?: I prefer to cook my stuffing- actually dressing- in a separate vessel in the oven. This ensures safe temperatures and also reduces the roasting time on my bird. If you must stuff, take the following precautions:

·        Always stuff bird just before roasting

·        Always use fully cooked stuffing not raw ingredients

·        Remove stuffing immediately after roasting bird and serve in side dish 

 Brining :  This process of soaking your turkey in a salt and sugar solution makes the bird retain more moisture during cooking and yields a very juicy bird.  The science of it is quite interesting , but what you should know is to not soak the bird for longer than 6 hours per 15 lb turkey and to always add some sugar to the brine to prevent too much salt from being absorbed.   The following recipe can be made without brining , just add some salt before roasting.