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Roast Turkey - A Great Low Fat Feast |
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Written by Mark Knowles
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Thursday, 26 November 2009 14:45 |
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Roast bird provides your family with a healthy alternative to other meats because it contains less calories, fat, and cholesterol than beef and pork. The only fat in the bird is confined to dark meat and the skin making it a good choice for those that are on a diet that limits fat. The meat of the bird is much more digestible that other meats and will provide your body with vitamins and minerals it needs to stay strong and healthy.
by MarkKnowles
Roast turkey provides your family with a healthy alternative to other meats because it contains less calories, fat, and cholesterol than beef and pork. The only fat in the bird is confined to dark meat and the skin making it a good choice for those that are on a diet that limits fat. The meat of the bird is much more digestible that other meats and will provide your body with vitamins and minerals it needs to stay strong and healthy.
Roast turkey is very easy to make it is just a bit time consuming. An unstuffed bird weighing twelve lbs will have to be in the oven for around two and a half to 3hours and a larger bird up to twenty lbs will cook for up to five hours. Getting the turkey ready to cook does not take much time at all.
Grocery stores carry frozen turkeys all year round. Some grocery stores even have fresh breasts and legs available at all times. You will need to thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator before you can put it in the oven and that can take a few days. A small bird up to fifteen lbs should be left to thaw in the refrigerator up to four days and a large bird of up to twenty-five pounds will take around five days to thaw. The bird will tend to drip while thawing so be sure to put it in a pan so you don't have drippings in your refrigerator.
The first step to prepping your bird to cook is to remove the packaging. You will find some clips that hold the legs together and those need to be taken off. Once the legs are apart you will see the cavity of the bird and there is usually a small package inside that contains the giblets (internal organs or heart, liver and kidneys) and the neck. Traditionalists chop the organs up and cook them in butter to be placed in the stuffing and the neck is usually boiled in water with onions and celery to make turkey stock for the gravy. You don't have to use them however and if you desire you can cook them and give them to your dog or cat. Never give it to them raw and never give them the neck.
When preparing the turkey give it a shower in your sink washing it inside and out making sure the water is clear. Just use water when washing down a turkey and do not use soap. Using paper towels dry off the bird and placing it in a large pan for roasting with the breast on top.
Stuffing is a good side dish to be served with bird and it can be cooked inside the cavity of the bird but always stuff it a few minutes prior to putting it in the oven. You don't want your guests to get food poisoning and that is likely to happen if you let the stuffing sit inside the bird for awhile. It is much safer to make stuffing outside of the turkey. Place a few peeled and lightly chopped onions and some celery inside the cavity if you don't stuff it. Add garlic if you desire and a few teaspoons of butter. These things will impart a lovely flavor to your bird. Remove them before serving. Melt some butter in a saucepan and brush a heavy coating over the breast and legs of the bird. If you are worried about fat content use a butter product that does not contain a lot of fat. Season the bird with salt and pepper and add some dry sage. Other herbs good for turkey are rosemary and thyme. Pour 1 or 2 cups water in the pan, not over the bird to give it some moisture. It should just cover the bottom of the pan. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and pop the bird in, uncovered, for one half hour. Turn the temperature down to 350 degrees for the duration of cooking time.
You must use a meat thermometer to get the internal temperature of a turkey. There are those that give an instant reading and only have to be inserted in the turkey to check it then removed when it goes in the oven, and those that go in the bird while it cooks. Insert the thermometer in the meaty part of the thigh to get a good reading. A twelve pound bird will need to be in the oven about'0minutes, 12 to-- lbs turkey three and three fourths hours, a 15 to' pound bird around four and one fourth hours, a' or 20 lb bird about four and one half hours and a 21 to 25 pound turkey about five hours. Internal temperature should be'0 degrees F when it is done. If the bird seems to be getting a little too brown too fast cover it with foil. Once the internal temperature reaches 150 to 160 degrees F start basting the top of the bird with pan juices every 20 minutes until done.
Place the finished product on a platter and do not carve until 10 minutes have elapsed. You can bring it to your feast table to impress your guests and carve it there. Make sure to try and have some leftovers because turkey sandwiches the next day are delicious.
About the Author:
With Thanksgiving approaching, it is time to think about the best roast turkey recipe and I prefer a traditional recipe, with traditional presentation, which includes a classic turkey gravy made the old fashioned way. |
