Turkey Day Help
It's the day before Thanksgiving. Did you transfer your turkey from the freezer to the refrigerator?
If not, don't panic. You just need to adjust your game plan.
Instead of a slow thaw in the refrigerator, the turkey will require a more hands-on approach.
To safely thaw it, submerge the turkey in cold water and soak, changing the water every half-hour, allowing 30 minutes per pound. So a 12-pound turkey will take about 6 hours to thaw. If your turkey is too large to submerge or tends to float, but sure to rotate it often to keep the surface cold while it thaws. Once thawed, refrigerate until ready to cook.
There are many ways to cook a turkey, but the most traditional method is oven roasting.
To roast a whole unstuffed turkey or unstuffed turkey breast: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Remove turkey from packaging. Pat dry with paper towels. (Do not rinse turkey under running water as this could spread harmful bacteria around your kitchen.) Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Tuck the wings under. Brush or spray skin with vegetable oil or melted butter. Season with salt and pepper. Roast at 325 degrees for 20 minutes per pound or until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees.
A stuffed turkey will take longer -- anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes longer -- to cook. If you choose to stuff your turkey keep these tips in mind:
• Don't overstuff. Lightly spoon the stuffing into the cavity.
• The stuffing must reach 165 degrees to be consumed safely.
• Use only cooked ingredients in the stuffing. No raw vegetables or eggs.
Food on 11/22/2017