TURKEY TIME November 2, 2005 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

I always think the subject of cooking turkey has been "well done" until I overhear conversations in the grocery store. Young folks cooking their first bird have questions. Experienced bird cookers are looking for ways to add pizazz to their traditional turkey recipe. Plus, the recommended temperature and times for roasting turkey have changed. So here's more turkey talk.

Obviously, the first step is to select the turkey. If you're watching your sodium, choose a plain turkey instead of self-basting. To size up your turkey, figure on one pound per person. This formula will allow for generous first-day servings with some leftovers.

And, for the record, be sure your turkey is dead. The Thanksgiving when my nephew Samuel was four, he was most concerned about this. I think he thought the turkey was going to fly out of the oven and bite him. His father was afraid of chickens as a child, so maybe this bird fear is genetic.

Here are the new rules of roasting. The National Turkey Federation recommends the turkey be roasted by the open-pan method. Start with a fresh or thawed whole bird. Remove neck and giblets from the bird's cavity. Rinse bird inside and out under cold running water and drain. Pat dry with paper towels.

Place turkey with breast up and back down on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. For food safety reasons, do not stuff the turkey; dressing or stuffing should be cooked outside the bird. Many cooks rub the outside of the bird with oil and salt before roasting; however, according to the National Turkey Federation, this is not necessary.

You may add one-half cup of water to the bottom of the pan. You may also place a tent of aluminum foil lightly over the turkey for the first 1 to 1 1/2 hours of roasting (then remove tent so the turkey will brown or you may wait till the turkey reaches the desired shade of brown and then add the tent).

Place prepared turkey into a preheated 325°F oven. Roast until the internal temperature, as registered on a meat thermometer, registers 180°F in the thigh or 170°F in the breast. The turkey's juices should run clear.

For a 14- to 18-pound turkey, roasting should take 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours; for a 18- to 22-pound bird, about 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours. These times are approximate and should be used in conjunction with a meat thermometer.

To use an instant-read thermometer, pull bird out of the oven far enough so you can insert the thermometer's stem about two inches into the thickest part of the bird. Do not let thermometer touch bone or the roasting pan. The temperature should register in about 15 seconds. Wipe thermometer with a sanitizer after each use and before the next use.

Allow your cooked turkey to stand 20 minutes before carving.

You may hear of roasting a turkey in a brown paper grocery sack (maybe the bag catches him if he does fly). This technique is not recommended because present-day grocery bags may be made of recycled materials that are not safe for food preparation.

When you've mastered basic turkey roasting, check out the following recipe for Roasted Turkey with Citrus Glaze. The citrus flavor of the glaze complements the taste of turkey. Because the glaze is made with sugar, the browning process will occur quickly so do cover the turkey as directed in the recipe.

Now, let's talk fat. Turkey is a lean meat fairly low in calories, but that's the meat. The skin is fatty. One ounce of skin has 11 grams of fat, so resist nibbling on your bird's crispy cooked skin. Also, white meat has fewer calories than dark meat.

Dressing, turkey's traditional partner, can also be high in calories. To decrease the calories in your favorite dressing recipe, use less bread and more vegetables such as onions and celery. Check out the following recipe for a reduced-calorie dressing.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for gravy if desired. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. Blot dry with paper towels.

Squeeze enough juice from lemons and limes to equal 2 tablespoons each. Cut remaining fruits in half and place in turkey cavity. In small bowl, mix citrus juices with wine and brown sugar; reserve for glaze.

Fold neck skin and fasten to the back with 1 or 2 metal turkey pins. Fold wings under the back of the turkey. Return legs to tucked position. Place turkey breast up on a rack in large, shallow roasting pan. Rub outside of turkey with salt, pepper, and a little cooking oil. Insert oven-safe meat thermometer into thickest part of thigh, being careful not to touch bone. Roast turkey in preheated 325°F oven about 3 3/4 hours. During last hour of roasting, baste with pan drippings. During last 30 minutes, baste with citrus glaze. Loosely cover with lightweight foil to prevent excessive browning. Continue to roast till thermometer registers 180°F.

Per 3-ounce serving: 181 calories, 8 grams fat.

Recipe adapted from National Turkey Federation.

This recipe does take some work, but it's well worth the effort. For years, my mother was the dressing maker. When she tasted this version in a Heart Healthy Cooking Class I taught, she appointed me as the new family dressing maker.

Crumble Speckled Corn Bread into large bowl; set aside. Bake biscuits according to package directions; let cool. Tear 8 of the biscuits into small pieces; reserve remaining 2 for another use. Combine torn biscuits, sage, poultry seasoning, and pepper in with corn bread; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt margarine over medium-high heat in a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add celery and onion; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Let cool slightly. Add vegetable mixture to dressing mixture, and gently stir in broth and egg whites. Spoon mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 55 minutes.

Yields 10 servings at 262 calories, 7.2 grams fat, and 782 milligrams sodium.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt margarine over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add corn and bell pepper; sauté 8 minutes or until corn is lightly browned and pepper is tender, stirring frequently. Let cool.

Combine vegetable mixture, cornmeal mix, flour, sugar, and ground red pepper in a large bowl; add milk and egg whites, stirring until moist. Pour batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan; let cool completely on a wire rack.

Yields 12 servings at 100 calories, 1 gram fat, and 381 milligrams sodium.

Source: Cooking Light magazine.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 11/02/05