How to Buy and Cook A Turkey: Tips and Recipes

One of the most daunting meals of the year to prepare just may be Thanksgiving Dinner. So many courses to make, intense pressure to cook everything just right, set the table, get the house organized, time the dishes to be served hot at the same time. Thinking about hosting Thanksgiving Dinner is exhausting!

Whether you cook very often or not, there can be a lot of pressure to “step up to the plate” for Thanksgiving Dinner. Family and friends are seeking that “wow me” experience even if they won’t admit it. And, the most experienced cook can struggle with how to cook the big “bird” and handle the menu planning.

Here, provided are essential tips on How to Buy and Cook A Turkey, plus tips on preparing for the big holiday dinner. These simple steps will help ease the stress of the day so that you can find some time to relax and enjoy the day

After cooking lots of turkeys with successes and failures, here are steps, hints, and tricks to help your turkey cooking experience be as stress-free as possible.

Time-Tested Stress-Free Turkey Tips:

• Choose wisely
  • One of the most important elements to a successful Thanksgiving turkey is beginning with a quality turkey
• Purchase a fresh bird, not frozen, whenever possible
• Select organic, free-range birds for more tenderness
• If the only selections are frozen, choose a fresh frozen turkey that has not been injected with butter or other flavorings
• Allow at least two days for the turkey to thaw. It can be super frustrating to find your turkey still frozen when you are ready to prep
• Planning a big dinner party? Opt for two 10-12 pound turkeys instead of one really big one. Oversized turkeys can be a little tough. Often, the oversized turkeys don’t fit into a standard size oven

Brine the Turkey

• The question is often asked, “do I brine the turkey or not?”
• Answer, Always brine the turkey
• Brining helps breakdown the protein, adds moisture and flavor
• Many combinations of salt, sugar, spices, herbs, and liquids make up the brining liquid
• Use fresh rosemary, cinnamon sticks, cloves, brown sugar, apple juice, orange juice, and water. I float fresh orange and lemon slices in the brining liquid, as well
• See Brining Recipe below.
• Make enough brining liquid to cover the entire turkey
• Reserve about 6 cups of the liquid (pre-brining) for basting during the roasting process
• Place the turkey in the liquid overnight or for at least 6 hours

Susan’s Turkey Brine Recipe

Three parts sea salt or kosher salt
Two parts brown sugar
1/2 gallon apple juice
1/2 gallon orange juice
1 gallon water
8-10 sprigs whole fresh rosemary
2 star anise
5 whole cloves
1 sliced fresh orange
1 sliced fresh lemon
1 cinnamon stick

Note: Allow 1 cup of salt for every gallon of liquid.

Prep the bird

• If you have ever roasted a whole chicken, you can easily roast a turkey.
• A turkey is just a bit bigger, that’s all. If you don’t have a quality roasting pan, now is the time to invest in one.
• When using disposable roasting pans, use two of them together for sturdiness.
• Place the turkey on the roasting pan rack. If you don’t have a rack, don’t stress, the turkey will still come out okay.

Favorite ingredient combinations and how to use them:

• 4 tablespoons butter  – use real butter, not margarine
• Orange slices
• Lemon slices
• Rosemary on the stem (on the stem makes it easier to remove)
• Fresh thyme on the stem
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Add a few fresh garlic cloves

Season the Bird

*Soften the butter.
*Using your hands, gently lift the skin of the breast meat.
*Spread 1/2 of the butter underneath the skin.
*Spread the other half on top of the skin.
*Place any residual butter inside the turkey cavity.
*Sprinkle a teaspoon or so of sea salt on the turkey.
*Coat the turkey with fresh black pepper, as desired.
*Secure the legs.

*Purchase some cooking twine and secure the legs and wings. My dad is an engineer and makes a nice, neat “tie” at the top for ease in handling the turkey after cooking.
*Tie the legs and wings only.
*Use the handle of a long wooden spoon to remove the turkey from the roasting pan after cooking.

Add More Flavor

*Stuff a few orange slices, lemon slices, and sprigs of rosemary and thyme inside the turkey cavity.
*Place a few of each in the roasting pan.
*Add about 2 cups of the basting liquid to the bottom of the roasting pan.
*Use the remaining liquid to baste the turkey during the roasting process.

KEY HEALTH TIP:

Personally, I don’t stuff the bird with the stuffing or dressing. Make those separately to avoid cross contamination issues.

Low, Slow, and Baste

• Pre-heat the oven to 350*.
• Allow about 20 minutes of cooking time per pound of turkey.
• Place the turkey in the center of the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
• Using a clean dish towel, but one you can part with at the end of the day, and a pair of long tongs, dip the dish towel in the basting liquid and baste the turkey.
• Continue this process, basting every 30 minutes, until turkey is done. I
• If the top of the turkey begins to brown too much, place aluminum foil loosely over the top and sides of the turkey
• Remove aluminum foil to baste, then return.
• Cook to an internal temperature of about 160*F. The turkey will continue to cook while resting.

Resting and Carving

• Once the turkey is cooked, don’t stress about having to slice it right away.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and let sit for about 15 to 20 minutes. This allows the juices to re-incorporate into the protein and also allows you time to gather everyone for dinner.
• Do final prep for side dish dinner service; enjoy a sip or two of vino!
• Transfer the turkey to a carving board.
• The long handle of a wooden spoon and a serving fork work well to transfer the turkey.
• Using kitchen shears, clip the twine and remove.
• A sharp, carving knife is essential to carve the bird. Avoid using an electric knife or a serrated knife.
• Begin by removing the legs first.
• Carve the breast meat. Make a slice along the bottom of the breast meat, then starting at the top, carve downward into slices.

Tips to a Hosting A Successful Thanksgiving Dinner

Split up the Duties

• Offer to cook the turkey and perhaps, the stuffing or dressing, at your house.
• Ask guests bring one item such as an appetizer, salad, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and dessert.
• Example, five guests, five different items.
• Have them bring hot items hot and ready to serve. Cold items, easy!
• Make sure to confirm the flavor and style of the recipe.

Pre-set the table and decorations

• One to two weeks before, get your house organized.
• The last thing you need to be doing the week of your Thanksgiving dinner is cleaning up old newspapers, hiding the kids toys, and cleaning up the hall closet.
• Do as much as reasonably possible one to two weeks ahead.

Pre-Design the Style of the Table

• One week before, take inventory of glassware, dinnerware, and tableware.
• Decide what tablecloths you want to use. Make sure they are clean and pressed.
• At least three days before, set the table, if possible, and definitely pull out any platters, special utensils needed. Polish and clean them ahead of time.
• Match each platter to a serving utensil and place a sticky note on each designating which food item will be served.
• Go ahead and set any table and house decorations.
• If you will be using fresh flowers, decide what vase you want to use and make sure it is clean and ready to use.

What to Drink

• Plan for the beverages to be served in their own area
• Arrange to have plenty of ice in a separate ice bin nearby. The last thing you need when cooking on the big day is to have fifteen people coming and going through your kitchen asking for ice, water, soda, beer, or anything.
• At least three days before, set out the glassware, barware, and cocktail napkins.
• Have napkins ready to go whether cloth or other
• Prepare a seating chart, if necessary.
• The more details completed ahead of time, the less stress you will experience.

The To-Do List

• Create a shopping list for any decorative or serving items you may be missing
• Make a list of needed food and beverages.
• Have “to-do” list for each day and stick to it
• Divide to-do items amongst family members.
• Hosting at your home is a family event.
• Invite everyone to participate and have fun with the experience

More Dinner Party Suggestions

• Parties of 10 or more people, consider hiring a bartender and/or kitchen assistant.
• Many assistants love to work on holidays. Perhaps their family lives out of town and they would be dining alone anyway. The extra money can come in handy!
• When I did catering, all of the above were true. My team and I worked half the day and enjoyed time with friends the remained of the day.
• If two or more families are getting together, consider sharing the cost of an assistant.
• Having a professionally trained server to help can really lift the stress off of hosting and gives you time to enjoy the dinner and your guests.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I am thankful for the many blessings in my life, for this beautiful country we live in and for our military that risk and those who have lost their lives to protect our freedoms.

Take a moment and share what you are thankful for during this and every Thanksgiving season.

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A special Thank You to these photographers for their beautiful images:

“Seasoning the turkey” photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels (beautifully set table photo)
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay