How To Cook a Turkey: The Simplest, Easiest Method
Each year, the turkey finds a special place on the Christmas tables. With easy baking techniques, get a delicious and chewy turkey for your holiday meals.
The cooking of large poultry are never simple. In addition to being able to be declined ad infinitum, to be at the heart of many festive occasions, they must be prepared meticulously. The turkey in this case, can easily become dry and not reveal the potential of its flavors. Don't panic, different easy techniques adaptable to all kinds of recipes allow for a tender and mellow result.
Before cooking the turkey
- To ensure your turkey is perfectly cooked, tender and tasty, take it out of the refrigerator an hour before preparing it. Thus, by avoiding thermal shocks, the meat will be much more tender.
- If you want to stuff your turkey, prepare the stuffing with minced meat, parsley and crumbled bread. For a Thanksgiving-inspired version, you can also add vegetables to the stuffing: carrots , leeks, celeriac, mushrooms, a little thyme and bay leaf.
- Before cooking your meat, season it and add some herbs under the skin to give it flavor.
Baking the turkey
It's all about the temperature and the weather in the kitchen. For the turkey, if you want to bake it in the oven, it is better to opt for a long cooking with a low temperature. Like chicken , the softer the cooking, the tender and juicier the flesh. So you can heat your oven to 150 ° C . Allow 3 hours of cooking time for a 3 kg turkey.
Above all, don't forget to baste the meat regularly, otherwise it may dry out! Here is a little trick to know if it is well cooked: pierce a thigh with a knife and observe the coloring of the juice . It must be transparent. If there is still some blood, continue cooking.
Cooking turkey in a casserole dish
It is quite possible to cook a turkey in a pressure cooker. For a tasty meal, just buy a few vegetables at the market: carrots, celery, potatoes and onions.
- Start by seasoning the turkey, then place it in the casserole dish to brown each side in a little melted butter.
- Remove the poultry and place the vegetables in the bottom of the dish, then put the turkey on top.
- Add a little water or cider, close and cook for 3 hours on low heat.
The turkey is delicious with creamed chestnuts, for example, for a warm meal. It can also be stuffed for the most greedy, ideal for a holiday meal. There is no shortage of ideas to gather around a large table and taste these elaborate recipes.
Enjoy your meal