How to Cook the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

Turkey is the main dish on the Thanksgiving table. If you want to celebrate this day with your family at home and please them with a juicy turkey with a crispy crust, edition WikiHow gathered several ways to cook the perfect turkey.

Ingredients:

Brine

• 1 glass (288 g) kosher salt
• ½ cup (87,5 g) brown sugar
• 1 gallon (16 glasses or 3,8 l) vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) of black ground pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons (22,5 g) of peas
• 1 ½ teaspoon (22,5 g) finely chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon (16 glasses or 3,8 l) of cold water

Turkey

• One whole turkey (fresh or frozen)
• 1 red apple, sliced
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 glass (240 ml) of water
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) crushed dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) of dried sage
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) of lemon pepper
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) salt
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
• 2 cups (480 ml) broth

Gravy

Turkey juice, which will remain after baking

2 cups (480 ml) broth

¼ cup (37,5 g) flour

1. Turkey thawing

Frozen turkey should remain frozen until you are ready to use it. A few days before the cooking process begins, you can begin thawing the turkey using a poultry-safe method that will prevent the growth and spread of bacteria. Thawing a turkey at room temperature for more than two hours is unsafe and can cause bacteria to grow in the meat.

To defrost a turkey in the fridge you need about 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. Just put the turkey in the fridge a few days before you plan to cook it. Once the turkey has defrosted, you can leave it in the fridge for another two days. When defrosting, place a pan or plate under the bird into which liquid will flow after thawing the bird.

If you don’t have much time, you can also defrost a turkey in cold water, it will take about 30 minutes for every pound of turkey. To do this, place the turkey in a sealed plastic bag and immerse it in cold water. Change water every 30 minutes. Thawed turkey must be started to cook immediately, it is not safe to store it in the refrigerator after that.

2. Prepare the pickle

To brine had the perfect taste, it must be cooked three days before you plan to cook a turkey. Then store it in the fridge until steeping the turkey before cooking.

Recipe

In a large saucepan, mix in salt, brown sugar, vegetable broth, ground black pepper, peas, and ginger. Heat the brine over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil until the salt and sugar have dissolved.

After that, let the brine cool at room temperature. Pour into a food storage container and refrigerate in the refrigerator.

The amount of pickle obtained is suitable for turkey weighing up to 16 pounds.

3. Add some turkey

The purpose of this process is to create juicy meat with more crispy skin. In the evening, before you plan to cook a turkey, remove the neck and offal from the bird and place it on a large plate or pan with its breast down.

Add cold water and brine, the liquid should completely cover the turkey.

If the turkey floats and does not sink into the pickle, press it with a plate, close the pan with foil or a lid.

Place the turkey in brine in the fridge for a period from 12 to 24 hours. Turn the turkey over to the other side after half the salting time has passed.

4. Remove turkey from brine before cooking.

Take the turkey out of the pickle and rinse inside and out. Move the turkey to the roaster and drain.

After that, leave the bird in the air for another hour to get the maximum crispiness.

5. If you did not salt the turkey, then before cooking from the poultry in any case, you must remove the giblets and neck, you can save them for cooking gravy.

6. Give the turkey flavor

Put onion, apple and cinnamon in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium heat, boil for five minutes. Remove from heat, drain and let cool.

7. Place the flavors inside the turkey.

Place boiled and cooled onions, apples and cinnamon sticks inside the bird. You can also fill the cavity with other fragrant ingredients: slices of fresh apple, orange slices, chopped garlic, fresh or dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage.

8. Grease turkey butter with herbs

Rubbing butter with herbs into the skin of a turkey to make it crispy, tasty and golden brown.

To prepare the mixture, combine butter, herbs, salt and pepper in a food processor. Apply the mixture to the skin of a turkey with a brush or hand.

7. For turkey weighing less than 20 pounds, place the baking tray on the middle rack in the oven. For a turkey that weighs more than 20 pounds, move the pan to the bottom rack. This will ensure even cooking of the poultry.

8. Preheat oven to 475 ° F (246 ° C), then place the turkey in it.

9. Pour some broth to the bottom of the pan, but do not pour it on the bird itself, place the turkey in the oven with the breast down and bake for 20 minutes.

10. After 20 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 ° F (177 ° C). Do not open the oven door.

Cooking turkey first at high temperature and its subsequent reduction will help make the poultry skin crispy and the meat juicy.

Continue cooking the turkey at this temperature until the roasting process is complete. The general rule for cooking time is 13 minutes per pound. So, if you are cooking a 15 pound turkey, the cooking time will be approximately 195 minutes.

11. Use a thermometer to check the temperature and readiness of the turkey.

The 13 minutes per pound rule is a good guide, but the actual cooking time will vary depending on the particular turkey and oven. Use a thermometer to check bird readiness.

After about half the estimated cooking time, check the internal temperature of the turkey regularly. A bird is fully prepared when its internal temperature reaches 165 ° F (74 ° C).

Check the temperature in three places: the breast, the inner and outer sides of the thigh.

14. Let the meat infuse before cutting and serving. When the turkey is ready, remove it from the oven and let it brew for about 20 minutes. This will give the meat juiciness.

After that, the bird can be cut and served.

15. Gravy

Pour the remaining liquid after baking into a large saucepan, add a glass of 1 (240 ml) broth and heat over medium heat.

Whisk ¼ cup (37,5 g) flour and 1 glass (240 ml) of broth in a separate bowl. Pour this mixture into the mixture for sauce, basking on the stove and stir until the sauce thickens.

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