Thanksgiving Handbook : OUR ANNUAL CLIP AND SAVE SPECIAL
Holiday Hint
Roasting a turkey, breast-side down, on a V-shaped rack until halfway done, then turning it over for the remaining cooking time makes the bird juicier, particularly the breast meat. This works best with a smaller turkey; it is inconvenient and dangerous to handle a big, heavy bird when hot.
SAFETY TIP
Save time when stuffing a turkey by measuring, preparing and refrigerating stuffing ingredients before cooking. But wait to assemble and stuff the turkey until just before placing it in the oven. Never stuff turkey ahead of time because that can allow the bacteria that cause food poisoning to multiply.
Thawing
There are three ways to thaw a frozen turkey. An evenly thawed turkey may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before roasting. Do not refreeze an uncooked turkey after it has been thawed.
Refrigerator Method--The best, although slowest, way of thawing: Place the bird on a tray in its original wrapping and place it in the refrigerator until thawed. When it’s partially thawed, remove the bag of giblets from the body cavity and reserve in the refrigerator for making gravy or stuffing.
Turkey Weight and Thawing Time
4 to 12 pounds: 1 to 2 days
12 to 20 pounds: 2 to 3 days
20 to 24 pounds: 3 to 4 days
Quick-Thaw Method--Leave the turkey in its original wrap, place in a large kettle and cover with cold water. Change the water frequently to speed thawing. Thaw until the bird is pliable.
Turkey Weight and Thawing Time
4 to 12 pounds: 4 to 6 hours
12 to 20 pounds: 6 to 8 hours
20 to 24 pounds: 8 to 12 hours
Microwave Method--If the microwave is large enough to accommodate a turkey, thaw in a glass baking dish, following the manufacturer’s directions. It may take 1 to 1 1/2 hours on defrost cycle.
BASIC ROAST TURKEY
A. 1 (12- to 14-pound) turkey, thawed
There are blackened turkeys and smoked turkeys and turkeys rubbed with herbs and spices. But the turkey that appears on the most Thanksgiving tables is a good old-fashioned basic roast turkey. Here’s how it’s done.
B. Salt, pepper
Remove giblet bag from turkey. Check both cavities for extra parts. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry. Rub salt and pepper to taste into neck and body cavities.
C. Basic Bread Stuffing or stuffing of choice
Loosely pack stuffing into neck and body cavities. Do not overstuff. Stuffing expands during cooking.
Skewer neck skin to back of bird to hold stuffing in place. Tuck drumsticks with clamp or skin band, or tie with kitchen twine, and tuck wings under bird. Allow 1/2 to 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of
Insert meat thermometer into center of thigh next to body, but not touching bone. Place turkey, breast-side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Brush with melted butter. Roast uncovered at 325 degrees 20 to 22 minutes per pound (if turkey weighs more than 16 pounds, roast for 18 to 20 minutes per pound), or until thermometer reaches 170 to 175 degrees in thigh or 165 degrees in stuffing.
D. Butter, melted
Baste with melted butter every 1/2 to 3/4 hour. If bird is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil or cover breast with butter-soaked cheesecloth.
When turkey is done, remove from oven and let turkey rest at room temperature 20 minutes.
*
Makes 10 to 12 servings. Each of 10 servings, without stuffing, contains about:
553 calories; 706 mg sodium; 217 mg cholesterol; 31 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 55 grams protein; 0.20 gram fiber.
Note: To roast turkey unstuffed, season bird with salt and pepper to taste inside and out. If desired, insert pieces of celery, carrots and onions to improve flavor. Fold neck skin to back and fasten with skewer. Fasten legs down by tying or tucking under clamp or skin band.
Basic Bread Stuffing
1/2 cup butter
1 large onion, diced
1 to 2 cups diced celery with leaves
15 cups toasted 1/2-inch bread cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried sage or 1/4 cup minced fresh sage
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup turkey stock, water or milk
* Melt butter in large stockpot.
* Add onion and celery and cook until vegetables are tender but not browned.
* Add to bread cubes in large bowl. Add salt, pepper, sage and parsley and toss until well mixed.
* Add turkey stock and blend well.
* Use to stuff 12- to 14-pound turkey.
* Bake leftover stuffing in lightly greased casserole at 325 degrees 45 minutes to 1 hour or until heated through.
Makes 12 servings.
Each serving contains about:
126 calories; 469 mg sodium; 23 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.20 gram fiber.
THE ULTIMATE TURKEY
You can teach an old turkey new tricks. Three years ago, The Times Food Section introduced the Ultimate Turkey and every year since, we’ve persuaded more and more people that there is a better way to make the Thanksgiving bird. It’s a method that turns out amazingly moist meat in radically shorter time.
Here’s the basic idea: Stuffing is placed under the skin on the turkey’s breast, rather than in the body cavity, and the turkey is roasted at a slightly higher than normal oven temperature. The stuffing keeps the breast meat moist while the dark meat cooks thoroughly.
With a roasting temperature of 350 degrees, you can have your turkey cooked in just 7 to 9 minutes per pound, instead of the usual 18 to 24 minutes a pound. A 12-pound turkey, with stuffing, could be done in just a little more than 90 minutes.
We also reduce the internal meat temperature normally used to determine when turkey is safely cooked. The usual recommend internal temperature of 185 degrees is an old U.S. Department of Agriculture standard that gives cooks an extra cushion of safety--and, usually, dried-out meat. We recommended taking turkey out of the oven when the internal temperature of the meat reaches 155 degrees to 160 degrees.
Of course, with such brief cooking times, there are a couple of caveats to avoid embarrassing undercooked spots: First, the turkey must be completely thawed before going in the oven. Further, it is imperative that you test the temperature with a thermometer (particularly in the thigh) to determine doneness. And don’t truss the bird or tuck under the wings--with such short cooking times, you need to expose all the surface area of the meat to the heat of the oven.
If you still find a few red spots at the joints when you begin to carve the turkey, don’t panic . Remove the leg quarters, place them in a pan and tent with foil. Return to 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes to finish cooking while you carve the breast meat.
1 (12- to 13-pound) turkey.
Salt, pepper
4 cups stuffing, about
1 stalk celery, cut into thirds
1 carrot, cut into thirds
1 small onion
Melted butter
Thaw turkey thoroughly. Even fresh turkeys normally have icy sections and must be thawed.
Rinse turkey inside and out. Pat dry. Season whole bird to taste inside and out with salt and pepper.
Run fingers carefully between skin and flesh of turkey, loosening skin. Working slowly, push stuffing in thin layer under breast and thigh of turkey. Put celery, carrot and onion into body cavity of turkey.
Put celery, carrot and onion into body cavity of turkey.
Put turkey in large roasting pan, breast-side up. Do not truss bird and do not tuck wings under bird. Brush turkey with melted butter to taste. Roast at 350 degrees 7 to 9 minutes per pound, or until turkey registers 155 to 160 degrees when thermometer is placed deep into both breast and thigh, nearest bone.
Remove from oven. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. Makes 12 to 13 servings.
Makes 12 to 13 servings.
Each of 12 servings contains about:
416 calories; 223 mg sodium; 189 mg cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 52 grams protein; 0.13 gram fiber.
Roasting Times and Determining Doneness
To test a turkey for doneness, insert a thermometer through the carcass to the center of the stuffing. The thermometer should reach 165 degrees. If unstuffed, insert the thermometer through the large, meaty muscle inside the thigh, without touching the bone. The temperature should be 170 to 175 degrees. If no thermometer is used, test by hand: Wiggle the tip of the drumstick. It should move easily when done.
Weight and Total Cooking Hours
Stuffed
4 to 8 pounds: 1 1/2 to 2 1/2
8 to 12 pounds: 2 1/2 to 3 1/2
12 to 16 pounds: 3 1/2 to 4 1/2
16 to 20 pounds: 4 1/2 to 5 1/2
20 to 24 pounds: 5 1/2 to 6
*
Weight and Total Cooking Hours
Unstuffed
4 to 8 pounds: 1 1/2 to 2
8 to 12 pounds: 2 to 3
12 to 16 pounds: 3 to 4
16 to 20 pounds: 4 to 5
20 to 24 pounds: 5 to 5 1/2
TURKEY GRAVY
It’s fairly simple, really. But many of us serve gravy only during the holidays and could use a review of the basic technique.
Neck and giblets from 1 turkey
1 quart water
Drippings from roasted turkey
1/4 cup flour
Salt, pepper
Remove neck and giblets from bird. Separate liver from other giblets and discard or save for another meal. (The liver, largest and softest of organ meats, clouds the broth.) Place remaining giblets and neck in 2-quart saucepan. Add water and bring to boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Strain and reserve stock. Discard neck. Chop giblets, cover and refrigerate.
When turkey is roasted, remove from oven and transfer to platter. Lightly cover with foil and let stand about 20 minutes to allow juices to set before carving.
Meanwhile add 1 cup reserved stock to drippings in roasting pan. Place pan over medium heat and scrape browned particles free from bottom with wooden spoon. Pour mixture into measuring cup and let fat rise to top. Skim fat off with spoon. Or use specially designed measuring cup, pouring drippings.
To make 2 cups gravy, place 1/4 cup turkey fat in saucepan. (If necessary, add butter.) Add enough reserved giblet stock to skimmed drippings to make 2 cups.
Heat fat over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, until bubbly. Remove from heat. Gradually pour in dripping-stock mixture, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Return pan to heat and cook, stirring, until gravy boils and thickens. For thinner gravy, add more broth. Stir in giblets. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 2 cups.
Each 1-tablespoon serving contains about:
20 calories; 67 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.05 gram fiber.
Note : Giblets may be omitted from gravy, and canned chicken broth may be substituted for homemade broth.
MASHED POTATOES
When it comes to mashed potatoes, there is little consensus about the best way to make them. The best mashing utensil and the lump/no-lump question are matters of personal preference.
But the type of potato you use for mashing does make a difference. Of the two basic varieties--waxy and mealy (sometimes termed non-waxy)--the latter is best suited for mashing because of its low sugar and high starch content.
Generally speaking, rely on the thick-skinned potatoes such as russets to be mealy. Select potatoes that are firm, free from large cuts, growth cracks and sprouting eyes. Avoid any with green-tinged skins.
6 medium starchy potatoes
1/2 to 3/4 cup hot milk, evaporated milk, half and half or whipping cream
1/4 cup butter
Salt, pepper
Cook potatoes, either by boiling or steaming.
To boil, in heavy saucepan with tight-fitting lid, cook potatoes in about 1 inch boiling, salted water until fork-tender. If whole, cook 30 to 40 minutes, or cut-up, 20 to 25 minutes. If lid doesn’t fit tightly, water may boil away. Check occasionally and add more water if necessary.
To steam, place wire rack on bottom of kettle or large saucepan and add water to just below level of rack. Bring water to boil, add potatoes and cook, tightly covered, until fork-tender. If whole, cook 30 to 45 minutes, or cut-up, 20 to 30 minutes. If lid is not tight-fitting, check occasionally to see if water should be added.
Peel potatoes (this can also be done before cooking). Use potato masher, electric mixer or ricer to mash potatoes.
With potato masher, press tool into potatoes in downward motion, forcing through cutting grid. With electric mixer, begin by mashing potatoes slightly with stationary beaters. Turn mixer on low speed and whip to desired consistency. With ricer, place boiled potatoes in perforated cylinder, then squeeze long handles together to force contents through ricer holes. Let rice-like pieces mound in serving dish.
Beating with mixer or wooden spoon, gradually add heated milk, evaporated milk, half and half or whipping cream, according to taste. Potatoes will be creamier and thinner if more liquid is used. Finish with softened butter or margarine to taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately, or spoon into buttered casserole and smooth light film of cream over top. Keep warm in oven heated to 250 degrees. Cover with towel to absorb steam. Makes 4 servings.
Makes 4 servings
Each serving contains about:
250 calories; 216 mg sodium; 33 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.73 gram fiber.
CARVING
Even expert carvers need a properly cooked turkey to do their best--overcooked turkey meat crumbles when it’s sliced. And remember to let the bird stand at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes after removing it from the oven so the juices set and the meat firms.
Use a chef’s knife to remove the legs and thighs, then switch to a very sharp carving knife for slicing the breast meat--the sharper the blade, the more attractive the slices. A serrated knife should not be used because it tends to tear the meat.
To remove the drumstick and thigh, press the leg away from the body. The joint connecting the leg to the backbone will often snap free, but if it doesn’t, it may be severed with the point of a knife .
Cut the thigh from the body by following the contour carefully with the knife. Place on a separate plate, then cut through the connecting joint between the leg and the thigh.
Tilt the drumstick to a convenient angle and slice the meat away in a downward motion toward the plate. Hold the thigh firmly on the plate with the fork and cut it into even slices parallel to the bone.
Wings are typically left in place to keep the bird stable while the breast meat is carved in downward slices, across the grain. Begin each new slice slightly higher up on the breast, keeping the slices thin and even.
Inexperienced carvers may find it easier to tackle the bird in the kitchen rather than at the dining table. The sliced meat may then be arranged on a platter for serving.