Preparing a Foolproof, Tasty and Perfect Turkey, Everytime

The Halloween season has come and gone with the setting back of the clock a few weeks ago, however, horror stories run rampant around Thanksgiving time and other festivities that take place between now and the New Year. Outcries by panicking hosts that selected the smallest straw, now responsible for preparing the Turkey and all the trimming only to fail miserably. Talking about a "wish I could hide under the table" or "this can't be happening to me" moment! Burnt, dry, undercooked, flavorless turkey to the occasional turkey dropping on the floor or Lassie, your dog, jumping up on the table to take advantage of the who ville feast that presents itself. Time to create the ideal turkey with foolproof results and compliments to boot.

As far as the turkey is concerned, I don't think it really matters if you buy a frozen, fresh or organic turkey. The only concern I have regarding using a frozen turkey is how long the turkey has been on ice...two days ago, one month ago...last Thanksgiving?...I think you get the picture. Select the right size turkey, given the number of family members and guests you expect to be attending the meal. I like to purchase a turkey that is larger than what need. The reason for this is, sandwiches for the week, leftover meals and the wonderful concoction many of us whip up like a witches brew, turkey soup or stew.

OK, let's get started! Preparation and time management are crucial to ensuring everything goes according to plan, smoothly and efficiently. Anything you can do proactively, when it comes to preparing the turkey and trimming right down to buying the necessary food and ingredients for your feast, will help immensely.

Everyone hopes that they will prepare the best turkey ever that will draw attention, oohs and ahhh's and great reviews from their guests. The starting point in obtaining this goal is BRINE. Brine, what the heck is brine, you may ask? Brine is a salt mixture that the turkey soaks in for 8-12 hours to absorb moisture. Now, you have alot of flexibility when preparing this solution. By this I mean many different ingredients can be added to compliment the salt mixture. I like adding earthy, strong spices like garlic, peppercorns, fresh sage, thyme and bay leaves. Lemon juice, cloves, cinnamon, tarragon, paprika, and crushed hot peppers can also be added.

To prepare this solution, add salt and other spices to boiling water. Let it boil for a few minutes to enable the spices to become infused with one another to draw out the beautiful flavor and aroma of the solution. Once this has boiled for a few minutes remove from the stove and add ice water to the brine solution to cool off the brine liquid. Do not add the turkey directly to the hot brine solution or it will start cooking the outside of the turkey, which you do not want to do right now. Get a large pot, pan or bucket and place the brine solution in the container. Next, carefully place the turkey in the brine solution container, BREAST side down and add some more ice water till the turkey is completely immersed in the brine liquid. The reason why you want the turkey breast down is to allow the turkey to absorb the most liquid to that area of the bird. Soak the turkey for 6-24 hours depending on the size of the bird in the cold brine solution. Obviously, this process is better performed the day before you plan on cooking the turkey.

Once the brine process has ended, take the bird out of the solution and pat dry with paper towels. You will notice that the turkey has grown in size due to the brine retention in the turkey. The bird is almost ready to get tossed in the oven. You have a couple of choices next before cooking the turkey. Nope, stuffing the bird isn't one of them...more on this later. You can prepare a dry rub to place on the skin of the turkey as well as under the skin to flavor the turkey. You can also add onions, whole lemon cut in quarters and garlic into the rib cavity to further intensify the flavor of the turkey. Now, this step is not necessary since the brine solution soaked up by the turkey will add a dramatic flavor explosion, but rubs can be incorporated into the preparation process. Next, add a light cooking oil such as canola, safflower or olive to the skin of the turkey, NOT butter, as butter tends to burn due to the solids found in it.

Stuffing the bird...as I mentioned earlier, not a good thing. Reason being is that to ensure that the internal temperature in the breast cavity with the stuffing would need to be at upwards of 180 degrees Fahrenheit to be sure the stuffing was cooked fully. Think of what that would do to the bird! Burn it and make the meat tough and dry, just what we are trying to avoid. I know, so I will just cook the stuffing and deposit it in the bird then. Same thing, the juice/liquid from in the bird will seep into the stuffing and again if the internal temperature isn't optimal, you run the risk of getting sick(salmonella). If you want to create that stuffed bird picture, then after the turkey has cooked completely, you can add dressing into the breast cavity.

Once the bird has been covered in the oil and or dry rub you will want to tie the turkey extremities as close to the breast of the turkey as you can. The reason for this is quite simple actually, the legs and wings of the bird don't cook at the same speed and consistency as the breast due to the amount of meat to bone ratio and size. By having the legs and wings closer to the body of the bird, you will reduce the likelihood of over cooking those parts of the bird.

Finally, time to put the bird in the oven! Covering the bird with a cover or aluminum foil isn't necessary right now. Stick the bird right in the pan and place in the oven. Than pan should be large enough to handle the Bird and an extras you wish to add along side to add to the homemade gravy stalk. Carrots, rosemary, onions, celery, sage, parsnips etc. all make wonderful choices.

Set the oven to 500 degrees, initially for a half hour. What this does is seals in the juices and get the juices flowing. After the half hour turn the oven down to 350 for the duration. Add a meat thermometer to stick in the Bird is ideal to tell you the internal temperature of the meat as not all ovens are the same and accurate reading can not be guaranteed solely using the oven temp meter. You want to take the turkey out when the turkey's internal temperature reaches 151 degrees Fahrenheit. Along the way if you notice some spots on the skin Browning more than others, you can use foil to cover those spots to get an even color throughout the skin of the bird.

The reason for taking the turkey out when it reaches the internal 151 temperature is that the turkey will continue to cook once you take it out of the oven, much in the way that homemade cookies will. Now its time to set the turkey out at room temperature so that all those wonderful juices Will have time to spread through the turkey from top to bottom. If you were to slice the turkey right after removal from the oven the juices would end up spewing out of the turkey collecting on the plate and not remaining in the bird which is where you want it.

After a half hour or so, you are ready to slice the bird. Optimal way for carving is to remove the breast meat from the bird to cut it with the grain as opposed to against the grain which is how the turkey would be carved if you cut the breast meat directly from the bird.

So, there you have it...the perfect juicy flavorful turkey consistently colored and cooked evenly throughout.
Making your own gravy from the fat dropping and juices that have collected below is easy. Mix all that flavorful goodness with a cooking wine, some flour and some sea salt and pepper. This will make the perfect compliment to the turkey, potatoes and stuffing side dishes.

Enjoy and have a Happy Holiday...