Talking Turkey

Whether you’re an experienced cook or preparing your first turkey, with some advanced planning your holiday turkey will look like the cover of a food magazine.

• Plan ahead and allow plenty of time for the frozen turkey to thaw. Turkey, or any meat for that matter, should not be left at room temperature to thaw. In the refrigerator, a whole bird takes approximately 24 hours for every five pounds to thaw. That means it will take one to two days for an 8- to 12-pound turkey to thaw in the refrigerator and four to five days for a 20- to 24-pound turkey to thaw.
• If you purchase a fresh turkey, plan to cook it within two days of purchase or freeze it right away.
• Don’t forget to remove the giblet package in the cavity of the turkey prior to cooking.
• To roast the turkey, preheat the oven to no lower than 3250. Place it breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Do not add water. Cover turkey with a loose tent of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Remove foil 20 to 30 minutes before roasting is done.
• In a 3250 oven an 8- to 12-pound turkey will take three to four hours to cook; a 12- to 16-pound turkey will take three and one-half to four and one-half hours to cook. Time is only a guideline. To ensure that the bird is fully cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh muscle, without touching the bone. The thermometer should register at least 1800.

Helpful Holiday Contacts

• NC Cooperative Extension - See the back page listing for your county’s phone number.
• NC Cooperative Extension Food Safety Website http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/foodsci/agentinfo/
• USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday 1-800-535-4555).
  

Cooking the Dressing

For most families, the dressing is almost as much a tradition as the turkey itself. If you’ve always cooked the dressing in the turkey cavity, consider roasting it separately. It’s the easiest, quickest and safest method. An unstuffed bird takes less time to cook than one that is stuffed. If you decide to roast the dressing in the turkey, there are several precautions you need to follow.

• Don’t stuff the turkey until just before roasting the bird. To save time, chop ingredients a day ahead and refrigerate. Premix dry ingredients and store separately. Combine dry and liquid ingredients just before roasting.
• After the turkey is removed from the oven, check the dressing for doneness with a thermometer. To be thoroughly cooked, the dressing should reach 1650.
• Remove all the dressing immediately after cooking and place it in a separate bowl for serving.
• Within two hours after cooking the turkey, debone the bird and divide the meat into smaller portions for storage in the refrigerator. Divide large amounts of leftover dressing into smaller portions and refrigerate.