“Mastering Thanksgiving: Tips for Preparing the Perfect Turkey”
It’s turkey time! Turkey is a popular at Thanksgiving not because of its history (it was NOT the main dish at the first Thanksgiving- venison (deer) is believed to have been the centerpiece of the first Thanksgiving in 1621), but because this large, juicy bird can feed a large number of people with relative ease while preparing a number of side dishes to satisfy the pickiest of eaters.
Before you buy the turkey, read the package to see how many people that weight turkey will feed. For smaller crowds, a turkey breast will feed everyone without a month’s worth of leftovers. If you find out at the last minute you are hosting or don’t think you will have time to defrost a whole turkey, a couple breasts will thaw in less time.
Although it sounds convenient to buy the turkey labeled “self-basting”, save your money. Because turkeys are sold by the pound, you are paying for the extra water (up to 9.5%). Second, skipping the injected fluid allows you to choose what flavor you give your turkey. Finally, if you are planning on frying your turkey, the injected fluid may cause the oil to boil violently, overflow, and start a fire.
The perfect turkey takes time to prepare and starts with taking the frozen turkey out of the freezer at the appropriate time. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, it takes approximately 24 hours to defrost 4-5 pounds of bird in the refrigerator. Never defrost frozen meat on the kitchen counter as this allows bacteria to grow in the bird. Use a deep roasting pan with a wire rack inside to catch any leaks in the packaging as it defrosts.
If you are on a time crunch, you can also defrost the turkey in a cold water bath on the counter. What would take 2 days to defrost in the refrigerator will be done in five hours. Make sure you wrap the turkey in a waterproof bag to avoid the turkey absorbing water and change the water every 30 minutes to prevent any contamination. Allow up to 24 hours for brining the turkey and 48 hours to salt the turkey.
Although a turkey can technically be thawed in the microwave, most people do not have a microwave large enough for the full turkey to rotate. A breast would technically fit in the microwave, but plan on marinating it for at least an hour before after defrosting so that it is nice and moist. Lemon juice will provide a fresh, light flavor for those who do not want a heavy gravy or for mixing into other dishes as leftovers.
Once the turkey is thawed and ready to cook, you need to decide how you want to cook it. If you choose to roast the turkey, cooking on a preheated and oiled baking stone will allow the whole turkey to cook to the correct temperatures (175 degrees Fahrenheit for dark meat and 160 degrees Fahrenheit for white meat) without parts being overcooked and others undercooked. Basting the turkey is unnecessary, eliminating the crispy skin everyone loves and lengthening the cooking time from opening the door and dropping the oven’s temperature. The final cooking time will be 15 minutes if you stuff it and 13 minutes per pound without stuffing if cooked on the baking stone at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes then reduced to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Deep frying the turkey is becoming more popular. If you choose to go this route, do not wait until your Thanksgiving meal to use the deep frier. The most important part of deep frying a turkey is to follow all safety instructions included in your turkey frying kit, including using the fryer outside on concrete away from any trees or buildings. Make sure you are wearing closed toe shoes, long sleeves, long pants and heat-proof gloves and have a fire extinguisher nearby. To prevent filling the pot with too much oil, do a trial run by placing the packaged turkey in the pot and covering it with water. Take the turkey out and measure how deep the water is so you know how much oil to use. This will prevent wasting oil and the oil overflowing. Never allow the oil temperature to get above 350 degrees.
The only prep the turkey needs is to remove the neck, gizzards, and pop-up thermometer then coat with a dry rub such as one of the six varieties of Code 3 Spices available at Bagley Farms Meat Market. The active cook time using this method is 4 minutes per pound instead of 15 minutes.
When you serve an Amish turkey from Bagley Farms Meat Market, you are guaranteed a
tender, flavorful turkey that will make your Thanksgiving feast the best.