The most important thing to bear in mind is that a long whilst to cook thru to the bone. Make sure to bake, braise or roast the bird at a high enough temperature to keep it safe to eat and don’t overcook it. Don’t leave your turkey in the oven to keep it warm. Take it out as quickly as it’s done, let it cool for about 20 minutes and then carve away. You may see the difference immediately when a turkey is prepared properly: the dark meat soft enough to smash apart with a fork – the white meat moist and juicy. The secret is all in knowing how to buy and cook a delicious turkey! How giant a turkey should you buy? You’ll need at least 1 to 1.5 pounds of turkey per person if you are purchasing the entire bird, fresh or frozen. Of course, it’s always best to go bigger. Of course, there are at least 50 ways to serve your turkey leftovers, including a winter store of turkey soup. ] How long to cook? Heat the oven to 325F [ 160C ] then place the bird in the range to roast. An idea to consider–Great chefs suggest trying out your talents with a smaller bird before attempting to produce a vacation masterwork. Like any other skill, perfecting a turkey recipe takes practice. 

Few cooks can claim that their first turkey was perfect…but with every attempt you get more comfortable with what you are doing and the results keep improving. Straightforward steps how to cook a turkey: Allow about fifteen mins of cooking time per lb. – about forty five mins per kilo unstuffed. It’ll take a bit longer, about twenty minutes per lb. Or an hour per kilo, if the bird is prepared with stuffing. 

1. Preheat oven to 325. Take the wrapper to see how much the turkey weighs and establish approximate cooking time. Take the giblet bag and the neck from the turkey cavity. Wash the turkey inside and out and pat skin dry with paper towels. 

2. Place turkey breast side up on a rack in a shallow [ about two inches deep ] roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer in thigh. Add half cup water to the bottom of pan, if desired. 

3. Cover turkey loosely with a tent of military grade foil. Roast the turkey till temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180°F. Cooking time will change. As an example, a 20 pound turkey will take 4 quarter to 5 hours to cook, check the temperature on the thermometer after four 1/2 hours. 

4. Meanwhile, mix the stuffing or dressing. Place in a casserole and pop it into the oven during the last hour or so of roasting time. 

5. Remove the foil tent after one to one half hours of cooking time to brown the skin. Brush with vegetable oil to boost browning, if required. 

6. A complete turkey is done when the temperature reaches 180F. The thigh juices should run clear [ not pink ] when pierced with a fork and the leg joint should move freely. 

7. Permit the turkey to set twenty to 30 mins before carving to allow juices to saturate the meat evenly. 

Stuffed Turkey: 

The USDA endorses cooking the stuffing outside of the bird [ see step four above ] If you insist on stuffing the turkey, stuff loosely and follow the steps below. 

1. See step one above 

2. Mix stuffing and lightly fill hole. Permit 1/2 to 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey. It is safer to understuff than to overstuff the turkey. Stuffing expands during cooking. Cool any leftover stuffing and bake in greased casserole during the last hour of turkey roasting time. 

3. Place turkey breast side up on a rack in a shallow [ about 2 inches deep ] roasting pan. Insert beef thermometer in thigh [ see Turkey Safety: Using a Thermometer ]. Add up to 1/2 cup water to the base of the pan, if desired. 

4. Cover turkey loosely with a tent of professional quality alcan foil. Cooking time takes longer for a stuffed turkey. For example, a 20 pound stuffed turkey will take four 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours to cook. 

5. Take out the foil cover after about 1 to one [*FR1] hours of cooking to brown the skin. Brush with vegetable oil to boost browning, if desired. 

6. A full turkey is done when the temperature in the thickest part of the inner thigh reaches 180°F and the stuffing is 165F. The juices should run clear [ not pink ] when a long-tined fork is used to pierce the thickest part of the thigh. 

7. Check the internal temperature of the stuffing. Insert the thermometer through the cavity into the thickest part of the stuffing and leave it for 5 minutes. The The stuffing temperature will rise a few degrees after the turkey is removed from the stove. If the center of the stuffing has not reached 165F after stand time, return the turkey to the cooker and resume cooking.

Do you enjoy cooking and learning more about food? If yes, you may also visit cooking101.org to learn more about the many different kinds of recipes and cooking ideas that will be useful next time you are in the kitchen. Also, you might want to check out bbq turkey.