Cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving? There are no shortages of crazy methods for ensuring a moist turkey, from cooking it upside down to injecting it with oil. Here's how to make sure your Thanksgiving turkey is moist and delicious.
1. Get the right size bird.
The general rule of thumb is 1 to 1-1/4 pounds of turkey per person, but if you're having a huge feast, it's better to roast two smaller birds than one big turkey. The reason? Smaller birds (10-12 lbs.) tend to be juicier, and there's less chance of overcooking.
If you don't have the refrigerator or oven space to handle two turkeys, why not roast and carve one in advance? You'll still have one turkey for the big presentation. Or, cook an extra turkey breast. It takes up less space, cooks faster and much easier to keep moist.
2. Make sure the turkey is thawed properly before cooking.
Turkey should be thawed in its original wrapping in a refrigerator kept at 40 degrees or lower. You will need 24 hours per 5 pounds of frozen turkey.
3. Brining is best.
This is truly the best way to ensure a moist cooked turkey. Basically, the turkey is soaked in a cooked, then cooled, flavored salt water. When done right, brining adds moisture to the turkey, making the breast meat able to stand being overcooked a bit in order to ensure the dark meat is cooked through. Brined turkeys also cook faster.
The problem is you need a huge container in which to hold the turkey and the brine. It has to be done at least a day in advance. And it has to be kept very cold -- 34 degrees is best.
If you are interested in brining, this article on brining from eGullet gives you everything you need to know, from the proper pans and containers to the recipes for brine.
4. Prepare the turkey for roasting.
Place a shallow turkey rack in a large roasting pan. You can put cut up vegetables in the bottom of the pan if you like (celery, onion, carrots).
Move the pan next to the sink before you unwrap the turkey. You want the raw meat to touch as few surfaces as possible.
Remove the turkey from its wrapper. Remove the giblets and neck (nearly every cook makes the mistake of leaving them in at least once!). Rinse the turkey with cold water and pat dry. Transfer it your prepared roasting pan. Brush the outer skin with peanut oil. Place cut oranges and a few sprigs of rosemary in the cavity. Roast according to the directions below.
5. Don't stuff the turkey!
Stuffing must be cooked to its own proper temperature. In order to make sure the stuffing is cooked thoroughly, you will have to extend the cooking time for the turkey. And that means dried out, overcooked turkey. It's better and safer to cook the stuffing outside of the turkey.
6. Use a thermometer and cook it to the proper temperature.
The basic reason most turkeys are dried out is because they are overcooked. In the past, the USDA recommended cooking a turkey to 180 degrees, a sure-fire way to guarantee all bacteria was killed. Problem was, so was all the flavor and moisture. Now the USDA says it is safe to cook a turkey to 165 degrees F, as measured by a digital thermometer.
Chefs have known this all along. In fact, most chefs pull their turkeys out of the oven at 155 to 160 degrees and let them rest 30 minutes or so until the residual heat cooks the turkey all the way through. But chefs are also very careful in keeping the turkey at the proper temperature (35 to 38 degrees F) before it even reaches the oven. After all, that's when the bacteria grows.
For best results, use a digital probe thermometer and cook it until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees. Then let the turkey rest! See tips below.
7. Don't use the pop-up timer.
They are normally set to pop at 180 degrees F -- way too high, which means you'll have a very overcooked bird. Remember, meat continues to cook after it comes out of the oven. A turkey cooked to 180 degrees will end up at 190 or 195 degrees and will almost certainly be dried out.
8. Skip the basting.
It doesn't do anything to add moisture to the turkey, and it forces you to cook the turkey longer, because you're opening the oven door frequently. Remember, the longer you cook it, the more chances you have your turkey will be dried out.
9. Cover the breast with foil one hour into cooking.
Since the legs and thighs have to cook to a higher temperature (170-175 degrees F) than the breast meat (160-165 degrees F), the white meat will almost certainly get done before the dark meat. To help keep the breast meat from drying out, cover the breast with foil about an hour into cooking.
10. Let it rest!
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest 30 minutes before carving. This serves two purposes: 1) It allows the residual heat to keep cooking the turkey, making sure it's cooked through, and 2) it allows the turkey juices to redistribute, keeping the turkey moist.
For more delicious Thanksgiving recipes, see also: Brussels sprouts with pistachios and pumpkin pie.
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