It’s death watch this week for thousands of turkeys across North America and parts of Europe. If you have never cooked a fresh turkey, you are in for a real treat. The flavor is different and the meat is more moist. You may be interested to know that freezing meat of any kind burst the cells and the meat loses moisture during cooking. To dine on turkey at its finest, it is best to get a fresh bird.
Of course, you are wise to store it properly once you bring it home. You don’t want to be finishing off the dreaded in-laws with their first bite of the season, and all in one go. This is supposed to be a happy, peaceful time of year. Although you may think it wonderful that you bumped off your mother-on-law, your partner may have other ideas. The third world war is not supposed to happen for a while yet.
Storing the bird in the coldest part of the fridge, under 40oF, is where it should rule the roost until just before you are going to prepare it to go into the oven.
Turkeys usually come in a plastic bag or shrink wrap. Cut off the plastic, without piercing the skin of the turkey. You may want to lay a piece of parchment paper in your sink and do it there so you don’t look like the slaughterhouse warden, getting it all down the front of you. Confining any goo sitting in the turkey bag and inside the turkey is one of the smartest moves you can make. More frequently that most of us care to imagine, the bacterial load living in the goo is huge. Get that on your kitchen counters can pose serious challenges to your immune system if the contamination spreads. Some of it is even hard to kill with bleach.
So, scrub out your sink, lay a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of your sink and de-robe your turkey. Remove giblets and neck from turkey and reserve for broth. Place them in a small pot with enough water to cover and simmer several hours.
Rinse the cavities of the turkey out with cold water until the water runs clear. Drain the bird well, pat it dry with paper towels. Tuck the wings under the body to keep them out of the way during cooking. For a neat appearance, pin the neck skin down to the back using toothpicks or skewers.
Apply a light coat of olive oil or other vegetable oil to the turkey with your hands or a pastry brush, then sprinkle with your favorite rub inside and out. Remember, go light on the salt in the rub. Also apply a light coating of oil to the roasting pan so there is less sticking when you go to remove the turkey from the pan. Chop an onion and a lemon in quarters and put them in the big cavity of the bird and tie the legs together using kitchen twine. The bird may be prepared to this point, covered and refrigerated for several hours until it is time to put it in the oven.
Lay the turkey breast side up in a roasting pan no more than 2 ½ inches deep. Roast the turkey at 325-350°F until it reaches 160-165°F in the breast and 170-175°F in the thigh, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours for a 12-14 pound unstuffed turkey. Baste the bird several times during the cooking time. Stick a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, making sure that the thermometer doesn’t touch any bone. When the meat thermometer registers 165-170 degrees F, the turkey should be done.
Remove the turkey pan from the oven and lift turkey onto a carving platter. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Turkey is an excellent source of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that you must get from the food you eat. Your body cannot make it. Tryptophan is excellent for improving sleep and mood, among other things. So enjoy that turkey, you’ll sleep better for it and everyone just might be in a better mood.
Here’s a good turkey rub, if you would like to try it.
1/4 Cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Teaspoon dried thyme
1 Teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
1 Teaspoon sea salt
1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Mix all the ingredients together and rub the turkey inside and out with the mixture. Roast the turkey according to directions.
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