READ #3... I GOGGLE EVERYTHING! How To Cook Turkey - Turkey Roasting Instructions For Safety And Doneness: 1. Oven Temperature - Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 degrees F. Pre-heating is not necessary. 2. Be sure the turkey is completely thawed. Times are based on fresh or completely thawed frozen birds at a refrigerator temperature of about 40 degrees F. or below. 3. Placing Turkey in Roasting Pan - Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pans, 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. Optional steps: Truss or Not to Truss - You do not need to bother with complicated trussing. Instead, secure the legs by tucking the ankle joints into the pocket of skin at the tail end. Tuck wing tips back under the shoulders of bird (called akimbo). Adding Liquid - Add 1 cup chicken broth/stock to the bottom of the turkey pan before beginning the cooking. This will create a steam room-type environment in the oven, which help keep the breast moist but will not prevent browning of the skin. Tenting the Turkey - In the beginning, a tent of aluminum foil may be place loosely over the breast of the turkey for the first 1 to 1-1/2 hours, then removed for browning. Or, a tent of foil may be placed over the turkey after the turkey has reached the desired golden brown. As part of the study, some birds were tented with foil for the entire cooking time; this increased the cooking time required. 4. Basting the Turkey - Brush the turkey with butter or vegetable oil at the beginning before roasting it in the oven. This will contribute to browning. Basting during the roasting process is an unnecessary extra stop. Basing in the last hour of roasting can actually turn a beautiful crisp turkey skin soft.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 16:19:45 +0000