Have The Family And Friends Over For Roasted Turkey On Xmas Day
The most common meat eaten on Xmas Day is oven cooked turkey. Research has shown that more than 8 in 10 of English families would only eat roasted turkey and everything else that goes with it at Xmas, nothing else will do!
In order not to contract salmonella food poisoning turkey must be cooked all the way through and if a frozen bird has been chosen it must be well defrosted before cooking.
Today most turkeys come ready to put in the oven, there’s no need to gut or pluck feathers although the giblets will need removing from a plastic bag that will have been placed inside the cavity of the turkey. Boil the giblets in a saucepan and the stock can be used to make delicious gravy. The cooked liver can be chopped up finely and used in the stuffing.
If the turkey is going to be stuffed more time must be allowed for the turkey to cook to a specific interior temperature. Cooking times will be increased if the legs of the turkey are trussed. The turkey should then be covered in streaky bacon and the whole bird covered in foil which should only be removed when the meat is cooked to allow the skin to crisp and brown. Consult recipe books for cooking times as larger turkeys will obviously take much longer to cook.. And don’t fprget the gravy boat for that perfect turkey gravy.
When placing a turkey inside the oven ensure that it is in a dish that is large enough to catch all the fat and juices that will ooze out. Also, do not place the pan that is too high in the oven as this will result in the skin and outer meat being cooked but the inside will still be raw. The darker meat takes longer to cook than light meat so always place the turkey in the oven legs first as the back of the oven tends to be hotter. When carving the bird, make sure you have a chopping board that is large enough to hold her.
Don’t forget to ask family and friends round before Christmas Day. Make sure all other preparations are well advanced on Xmas Eve. Get up very early on Xmas Day to get the roast turkey cooking. When everything is ready open the drinks, sit everyone down and enjoy the meal. Wash the dishes another day!
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