Have The Family And Friends Over For Oven Cooked Turkey On Xmas Day
The most common meat eaten on Christmas Day is roasted turkey. Research has shown that over 80% of UK families would only eat roast turkey and everything else that goes with it at Christmas, nothing else will do!
A family sized turkey must be cooked thoroughly as there is potential for those that are to eat the meat to contract salmonella. If the bird is frozen it must be defrosted to a specific interior temperature before cooking.
Today most turkeys come ready to put in the oven, there’s no need to gut or pluck feathers although the giblets will need removing from a plastic bag that will have been placed inside the cavity of the turkey. Boil the giblets in a saucepan and the stock can be used to make delicious gravy. The cooked liver can be chopped up finely and used in the stuffing.
A decision must be made as to whether the turkey is going to be stuffed. If this is so a lot more time must be allowed to allow the turkey to be cooked to a specific interior temperature. The legs should not be trussed to the side of the bird as this also increases cooking times. Cover the turkey streaky bacon strips and in foil until the turkey is cooked and only uncover the turkey to allow the skin to brown and crisp. Cooking times will vary greatly, depending on the size of the bird. Consult recipe books.. And don’t fprget the gravy boat for that perfect turkey gravy.
Use a large cooking tray and make sure it is big enough to collect all the juices that seep out. Place the pan on the lower shelf of the oven, not too hot, as the turkey will not cook completely on the inside if not place on the bottom shelf or in an oven that is too hot. Dark meat takes a lot longer to cook than light meat so make sure that the dark meat part of the turkey is placed at the back of the oven where it is usually hotter. The best chopping board will accommodate a full size bird.
Before the big day invite family and friends round. On Xmas Eve make sure vegetable and other preparations are in hand. On the day, an early get up is required to get everything under way. Serve the roast turkey dinner and the drinks when guests have arrived and enjoy. Worry about washing the pots later!