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If you’re the appointed turkey cook this Thanksgiving and are stressing to the max because you’ve never done it before, take comfort in knowing this: Roasting the turkey is the easiest part of the entire traditional feast. Peruse your commissary aisles for the turkey tailored to your specific needs — the commissary has them big and small and everything in between. Arm yourself with these basic guidelines and tips, and you’re “good to go.”
How much do you need? Plan on 1/2 to 3/4 pound per person for a regular bone-in turkey and about 1/3 pound per person for a boneless breast or turkey roast. Allow a bit more if you want plenty of leftovers.
How long does it take to thaw? Short answer — a long time. Place the frozen turkey on a tray in the refrigerator and allow five hours per pound to complete the thawing process. Depending on size, this can take from two to five days. To speed things up a bit, remove the giblet packet and neck from inside the turkey and thaw them separately. Be sure to check both the body cavity and the neck cavity for these – sometimes they are stored in two packets.
If time is short, use the cold water method for thawing, but do so carefully — spoilage bacteria can multiply rapidly at temperatures above 40 degrees. With the turkey in its original wrapper, place in a large container and cover completely with cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes and allow an hour per pound total thawing time.
How to roast? Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove giblet packets from inside the turkey, then rinse inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Generously rub the body and neck cavities with salt and insert a medium onion, cut into quarters, and two or three celery sticks, with leaves. Sprinkle the skin with salt, then brush all over with melted butter or oil. Place the turkey, breast-side-up, in a shallow roasting pan and roast on the lowest oven rack until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 to 180 degrees, and in the breast, 165 degrees. Refer to your turkey’s original wrapper for approximate total roasting times, which can range from 2 3/4 to 3 hours for a small turkey to 4 1/2 to 5 hours for a large one.
Remove the turkey from the oven, tent loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
To stuff or not to stuff? If your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal is the stuffing, then by all means get a reliable recipe and give it a try. Just be aware that food safety experts consider it a breeding ground for pathogens that can make you sick if not done properly. For first-timers, baking a pan of dressing separately is usually easier and definitely safer.
The decision to “stuff yourself,” however, is totally up to you. From my viewpoint, it’s the one day each year when it’s the totally acceptable thing to do. I’ll burn off those extra calories by adding some distance to my daily walk, I tell myself, but I usually have to have a nap first.
Visit www.commissaries .com/kays_kitchen/healthy _cooking/healthy_cooking .cfm and look for “Turkey Tips” to get specific information on how much turkey to buy, how to thaw the turkey safely and how long to cook it. Kay’s Kitchen will also have a complete feast of traditional Thanksgiving recipes.
If you’re the appointed turkey cook this Thanksgiving and are stressing to the max because you’ve never done it before, take comfort in knowing this: Roasting the turkey is the easiest part of the entire traditional feast. Peruse your commissary aisles for the turkey tailored to your specific needs — the commissary has them big and small and everything in between. Arm yourself with these basic guidelines and tips, and you’re “good to go.”
How much do you need? Plan on 1/2 to 3/4 pound per person for a regular bone-in turkey and about 1/3 pound per person for a boneless breast or turkey roast. Allow a bit more if you want plenty of leftovers.
How long does it take to thaw? Short answer — a long time. Place the frozen turkey on a tray in the refrigerator and allow five hours per pound to complete the thawing process. Depending on size, this can take from two to five days. To speed things up a bit, remove the giblet packet and neck from inside the turkey and thaw them separately. Be sure to check both the body cavity and the neck cavity for these – sometimes they are stored in two packets.
If time is short, use the cold water method for thawing, but do so carefully — spoilage bacteria can multiply rapidly at temperatures above 40 degrees. With the turkey in its original wrapper, place in a large container and cover completely with cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes and allow an hour per pound total thawing time.
How to roast? Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove giblet packets from inside the turkey, then rinse inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Generously rub the body and neck cavities with salt and insert a medium onion, cut into quarters, and two or three celery sticks, with leaves. Sprinkle the skin with salt, then brush all over with melted butter or oil. Place the turkey, breast-side-up, in a shallow roasting pan and roast on the lowest oven rack until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 to 180 degrees, and in the breast, 165 degrees. Refer to your turkey’s original wrapper for approximate total roasting times, which can range from 2 3/4 to 3 hours for a small turkey to 4 1/2 to 5 hours for a large one.
Remove the turkey from the oven, tent loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
To stuff or not to stuff? If your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal is the stuffing, then by all means get a reliable recipe and give it a try. Just be aware that food safety experts consider it a breeding ground for pathogens that can make you sick if not done properly. For first-timers, baking a pan of dressing separately is usually easier and definitely safer.
The decision to “stuff yourself,” however, is totally up to you. From my viewpoint, it’s the one day each year when it’s the totally acceptable thing to do. I’ll burn off those extra calories by adding some distance to my daily walk, I tell myself, but I usually have to have a nap first.
Visit www.commissaries .com/kays_kitchen/healthy _cooking/healthy_cooking .cfm and look for “Turkey Tips” to get specific information on how much turkey to buy, how to thaw the turkey safely and how long to cook it. Kay’s Kitchen will also have a complete feast of traditional Thanksgiving recipes.
