Is the turkey cooked?

Everyone worries about making sure the turkey is cooked so take the mystery out of it today and invest in a pop up thermometer from Boscos

ensure your poultry is cooked properly – insert the puoltry thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey or chicken( between the leg and breast), the button will pop when the poultry is cooked to 85C

Allow 15min to the Lb and 15 min extra. Remember it is a good idea to “rest the bird” for at least one hour before carving to allow the juices to redistribute through the turkey.

 

Size of Bird	How many?
4.5-5.5kg (approx. 10-12lbs)	5-6 adults
5.5-6.5kg (approx. 12-14lbs)	6-7 adults
6.5-7.5kg (approx. 14-16lbs)	7-8 adults
7.5-8.5kg (approx. 16-18lbs)	8-9 adults
8.5-9.5kg (approx. 18-20lbs)	9-10 adults
9.5-10.5kg (approx. 20-22lbs)	10-11 adults

Turkey and Ham Bail Out

At this time of the year we all feel in the need of a bail out – at Bosco’s to help make that euro go further we have a special offer of a farm fresh turkey (6kg) and Ham (2.5kg) all for just €49.99!!!!!

Cooking the Turkey

When it comes to cooking the turkey, this recipe from Bord Bia is hard to beat. As you will see for a turkey of 7 kg – they recommend a cooking time of approx 31/2  hours. The biggest problem when cooking a turkey is that most people tend to over cook it! Before you put it into the oven a good tip is to pull the legs away from the body of the turkey and wiggle them – the idea is to free up the turkey and allow the heat in the oven to circulate around the body of the turkey.

Another good tip is to place the turkey on a rack in the roasting tin with and cover the bottom of the tin with a few cups of water – this helps to keep the turkey moist.

A traditional recipe that is hard to beat! 

Serves 12-14 

 

Ingredients

• 7 kg turkey, oven ready
• Salt, black pepper and a little flour
• 2 tablesp. softened butter
• 8 slices streaky bacon

 

 

Stuffing

• 450g bread broken into pieces
• 6 tablesp. fresh parsley chopped
• 2 tablesp. fresh thyme chopped
• 1 medium onion, cut into quarters
• Salt and black pepper
• 100g – 150g butter, softened

 

To Cook

Cooking time

3½ hours approximately 

 

Method

To make the stuffing

Place the bread, parsley, thyme and onion in a food processor.  Process until you have fine breadcrumbs and the onion is finely chopped.  Remove to a bowl, season and mix in the butter.

To stuff the turkey

Losen the skin at the neck end with your hands.  Pack the stuffing in, pushing it up between the flesh and the skin, but not too tighlty because it will expand during cooking.  Tuck the neck flap under the birds back and secure with a coctail stick.  Any remaining stuffing can be cooked in a covered baking dish with the turkey.  Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time.  Allow 30-40 minutes per kg.  (Allow 20-30 mins per kg for turkeys weighing over 8kg).  Place the turkey breast side up in an oiled roasting tin.

To cook the turkey

Set the oven at Gas Mark 7, 220°C (450°F).

Season the turkey with salt and pepper and dust with a little flour.  Rub all over with the butter, then lay the bacon slices on the breast, overlapping each other.  Cover the bacon with a piece of buttered grease proof paper.  This will keep the bacon in place.  Wrap the turkey in foil and roast in the preset oven.  After the first 30 minutes, reduce the heat to Gas Mark 3 (170°C or 325°F).  Baste a couple of times during roasting.  For the last half hour, remove the foil.

To check if the turkey is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the leg, the juices should run clear.

When the turkey is cooked remove from the oven and transfer to a large plate.  Reserve the cooking juices in the tin to make the gravy.  Cover the turkey loosely with foil and allow to rest for half an hour in a warm place until you are ready to serve it.

Guide to good gravy

A well flavoured stock is important, so a day ahead, place the giblets, some onion slices and a bay leaf in a saucepan.  Cover with water, then simmer gently for 1½ – 2 hours.  Then strain and season. 

After removing the turkey from the roasting tin, pour off the fat and leave behind the juices.  Over a medium heat, stir in a tablespoon of flour.  Blend well.  Add a dash of wine.  Continue to cook.  Stir in the stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

A tablespoon of redcurrent jelly, cream or balsamic vinegar will also add to the flavour.  Season to taste.

 

Top Ten Christmas Tips

Image via Wikipedia

1. Thawing a frozen turkey requires patience. The safest method is to thaw turkey in the refrigerator. Be sure to plan ahead — it takes approximately 3 days for a 20 pound turkey to fully defrost.

2. For crisper skin, unwrap the turkey the day before roasting and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.

3. Cooking times will differ depending on whether your bird was purchased fresh or frozen. Plan on 20 minutes per pound in a 350 degree F oven for a defrosted turkey and 10 to 15 minutes per pound for fresh.

4. A turkey will cook more evenly if it is not densely stuffed. Consider adding flavor by loosely filling the cavity with aromatic vegetables — carrots, celery, onion or garlic work nicely — or by carefully tucking fresh herbs underneath the breast skin. For the stuffing lovers, cook the dressing in a casserole dish on the side.

5. For even roasting, truss your turkey.

6. Before roasting, coat the outside of the turkey with vegetable or olive oil, season with salt and pepper and tightly cover the breast with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning (it will be removed in step 7).

7. Don’t be a peeping tom (no pun intended)! Once you get the turkey in the oven, resist the temptation to open the oven door and admire your handiwork. When the oven temperature fluctuates, you’re only increasing the likelihood of a dry bird. About 45 minutes before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil from the breast to allow it to brown.

8. Remove the turkey from the oven when the deepest spot between the leg and the breast reads 180 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Check the internal temperature of the stuffing as well; it should be at least 165 degrees.

9. Tent the bird with foil and let rest for about 15 minutes before carving. If you need more time to make gravy, heat up side dishes, etc., you can let the turkey set for up to an hour without losing too much heat.

10. Remember to carve your turkey with a very sharp or electic knife.