How to Roast a Turkey - 10 Easy Steps
A grateful heart is a joyful heart.~
Getting that magazine cover result~
Impressive! No sweat and nothing fancy here, just a solid very straight forward procedure on how to get that moist and tender roasted turkey. However, unlike regular roasting, I use herb and lemon infused oil to brush the skin resulting into that magazine cover crispy brown skin. I’ve been doing this every year for ThanksGiving and Christmas and my family (and friends) love it.
Ingredients
I – For Oil Infusion
- Few sprigs of rosemary
- 1 lemon (diced)
- Gloves garlic
- Vegetable oil
II – For Stuffing
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 package dry bread stuffing mix
- 1 cup chopped onion
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- 4 slices toasted white bread – cut into small pieces.
- Salt and pepper to taste
III – Turkey
- 12 pounds whole turkey
Directions for oil infusion
1. Prepare oil infusion ahead of time, a day is good or at least 6 hours. Combine all ingredients for oil in a small saucepan and heat over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let it stand for several hours. Strain oil and set aside for later use.
Preparing the turkey~
1. Rinse turkey with cold water and pat dry with paper towels, while preheating oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Remove giblets and put separately in a roasting pan.
3. Prepare stuffing and mix in water, according to direction.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Slowly cook and stir the celery and onion until tender.
5. Mix celery, onion, and toasted bread pieces into the stuffing. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Scoop stuffing into the turkey body and neck cavity.
7. Rub the entire skin of the turkey with vegetable oil infused with sprigs of fresh rosemary.
8. Loosely cover turkey with aluminum foil. Place on rack in a large roasting pan.
9. Roast 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) and the interior of the stuffing reaches 165 degrees F (70 degrees C).
10. To keep the skin brown and crispy, remove foil during the last half hour of cooking.
Let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
Turkey roasting chart:
Serving
| Weight
| Stuffed
| Unstuffed
|
|---|---|---|---|
4 to 6
| 10 - 12 lb (4.5 - 5.5 kg)
| 3-1/2 - 3-3/4 hours
| 3 - 3-1/4 hours
|
8 to 10
| 12 - 16 lb (5.5 - 7 kg)
| 3-3/4 - 4 hours
| 3-1/4 - 3-1/2 hours
|
12 to 16
| 16 - 22 lb (7 - 10 kg)
| 4 - 4-1/2
| 3-1/2 - 4 hours
|
Note:
Cooking times are for planning purposes only – using a meat thermometer to determine doneness is always recommended.
Quick tips on stuffing the turkey:
- Never stuff your turkey ahead of time. Stuffing should only be done when the turkey is ready to go into the oven, to avoid giving bacteria the chance to spread out. Remember that bacteria has the ability to produce toxins quickly, which are not destroyed by heat and can make you sick.
- Don't pack your turkey with stuffing. It should be spooned lightly into the turkey's body cavity and neck cavity.
- If the stuffing is too tightly packed, the interior of the turkey won't get hot enough. Remember that It must reach 165 degrees F to ensure that its' interior is fully cooked.
- Also, keep in mind that stuffing does expand as it absorbs moisture from the turkey, so it's best to just lightly fill the turkey for best results.
Turkey Nutrional Fact: (Source: USDA Nutrient Data)
Meat Type
| Calories
| Total Fat (Grams)
| Protein
|
|---|---|---|---|
Breast with skin
| 194
| 8
| 29
|
Breast w/o skin
| 161
| 4
| 30
|
Wing with skin
| 238
| 13
| 27
|
Leg with skin
| 213
| 11
| 28
|
Dark meat with skin
| 232
| 13
| 27
|
Dark meat w/o skin
| 192
| 8
| 28
|
Skin only
| 482
| 44
| 19
|
Suggested Wine Pairing:
For poultry, traditionally it should be white. However, no one says we can’t break the tradition. So, why not try out young, cherry-cranberry flavored pinot noir from Oregon or Burgundy. Let breathe in a decanter one hour. Then sniff and sip.
P.S. Actually, even Fat Bastard will do! Just don't start drinking while preparing the turkey. Enjoy!
Complete recipe here:
- Quick Recipe: Left Over Turkey Soup
For a warm and nourishing meal, here is a quick comforting soup using your left over turkey with some basic ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge and pantry. Enjoy!
What to do with turkey left over?
- Turkey Soup - sautee' garlic, onion and tomato with little oil, add water and put the left over turkey, including bones to make a broth, add mixed vegetables. Put salt and pepper according to taste for a hearty turkey soup. This can be kept in freezer for a week or maybe more.
- Caesar salad - instead of chicken, top your caesar salad with the left over turkey and top with a Caesar dressing. Bacon optional.
- Turkey omelet - whip up your omelet with green or red bell pepper, mushrooms and load the middle with turkey. Add some cheese of choice.
- Burrito - warm some tortillas and fold up turkey, beans, rice and some cheese. Top with sour cream and salsa.
- Stuffed potato - bake a potato, stuff with lots of shredded cheese and turkey. Return to the oven until bubbling.
For dessert, why not try:
- No-bake, Low-fat Strawberry Cheesecake
This is a healthy dessert choice. Perfect for any occasion! Simply divine! - Royal Dessert - Spotted Dick Anyone?
Made in heaven! Spotted Dick is a famous British dessert made of eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, milk and currant or raisins.
Copyright@CrisSp~TM /10.2012. Fearless but not Heartless!
Happy Thanksgiving!
May your stuffing be tasty. May your turkey plum. May your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump. May your yams be delicious and your pies take the prize, and may your Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs!
© 2012 CrisSp
