Christmas Turkey Tips
With Christmas just under two weeks away, turkeys are flying off the shelves as the nation prepares for its Christmas day feast.
But whether you collect your bird from your local butcher on Christmas eve or buy one early from the supermarket and freeze it, when the big day arrives, knowing how to defrost it, prepare it and cook it can give you a headache before you’ve even started on the mulled wine!
Different weight birds require different cooking times, and with lots of conflicting advice out there from chefs and cookery writers alike on how to make the perfect Christmas lunch, it can be confusing.
To help you on your way on the big day, The British Turkey Hotline have provided the following top turkey tips. There’s also a number of leftover turkey recipes, to help you avoid a month of Turkey sandwiches”.
The Top Turkey Tips
1. What are the new recommended cooking times?
·Cooking times have got shorter – resulting in a juicy, beautifully cooked bird with more time for you to relax! Calculate 20mins per kg plus 90mins at 190C/Gas Mark 5/180C (If the bird weighs less than 4kg allow 20 minutes per kg + 70 minutes)
*Bring the bird to room temperature, then smother the breast with butter and bacon and cover loosely with foil.
*Remove foil for last 40 minutes of cooking time to brown.
*Test it is cooked using a skewer in the thickest part of leg – the juices should be clear.
*Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
2. When should I start defrosting?
*The turkey should be thawed either in a fridge, a cool room or at room temperature – no more than 20ºC
*Thawing in a fridge (4ºC) - allow 8-12 hours per kg
*Thawing in a cool room (17.5ºC) – allow 3-4 hours per kg
*Thawing at room temperature (20ºC) – allow 2 hours per kg
*After thawing remove all the packaging, take out giblets and store separately. Lightly cover on a deep plate or dish (to prevent any of the juices dripping onto other foods in the fridge) towards the base of the fridge. (Ensure the fridge is at a temperature of no more than 4ºC).
*Once thawed and in the fridge, the turkey will keep for 2 days. Bring back to room temperature before cooking.
3. Do I need to be careful about stuffing?
*Turkeys should be stuffed just before cooking.
*You can prepare the stuffing beforehand - either a few weeks and freeze then allow to thaw completely before using or simply make the breadcrumbs and freeze those. Or the day beforehand, allow to cool then store covered in the fridge before using.
*Only stuff the neck cavity - never the body cavity. If liked, you can place sliced onion or lemon and fresh herbs in the body cavity to infuse the meat with additional flavours. Make sure you weigh the bird once it is stuffed to calculate the correct cooking time.
4. Can I cook overnight?
*We would never recommend slow cooking overnight even if you have done it before.
*Harmful bacteria that may be left present would not be destroyed during cooking. The bacteria is killed at a high temperature which means that the internal temperature of the turkey needs to reach 76ºC and be maintained for at least 15 minutes.
This is achieved by cooking at 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes per kg + 90 minutes (or 20 minutes per kg + 70 minutes if it’s under 4kg.
5. How long can I use leftovers for?
*Its safe to store cooked, cold turkey in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cool quickly after cooking by transferring to a cold plate and putting it in an unheated room or in the garage. When cold, wrap any leftover meat in foil or plastic film and put it into the fridge.
*If freezing cooked turkey, remove from the carcass first and freeze separately. The meat will remain moist and succulent if frozen either in stock or gravy.
6. How can I be sure that I am buying the best quality turkey available?
Look out for look for the familiar farm assured Red Tractor logo alongside the Quality British Turkey mark, your guarantee you are buying turkey farmed in the UK to high standards of food safety, traceability and animal welfare.
Tagged in Food And Drink