How to Cook a Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey: Tips from an Experienced Chef

There are many ways to cook a Thanksgiving turkey. It all depends on the type of bird you have. How to make the main holiday dish perfect, reports DallasNews.

Photo: IStock

Anne Legg is a culinary school teacher. She managed Sur La Table and Central Market Plano. Here's what she says you need to know to get the most out of your turkey.

For plucked birds, it is best to use brine

A plain, inexpensive turkey that hasn't had any salt water or gravy added will be juicier if it's brined, Legg says.

“Crying is a way to increase the amount of liquid inside the meat cells,” she writes. “When meat is soaked in a solution of salt and sugar, some of the liquid passes through the cell walls into the cells.”

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Brine also allows you to control the amount of salt you add, which may be important for some guests, Legg says.

Legg gets right to work using a clean bucket to hold the brine. But you can also use a large plastic zip-top bag—basically anything that will hold the turkey and brine and fit in the refrigerator. Stores often sell disposable brining bags made specifically for turkey.

Legg suggests brining the bird overnight. She makes it simple by using a solution of salt, sugar and water.

“Sometimes I add thyme, sage, fresh herbs,” she says. “I tear them up and throw them whole into the salt liquid.”

Remove any giblets from the cavity, if any. Dissolve 120 grams of salt and 60 grams of sugar for every 3,5 liters of water you plan to use. Place the bird in the brine solution and cover the container. If you are using a plastic ziplock bag, be sure to release the air. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, drain the liquid. Then place the turkey, uncovered, on a rack in the refrigerator and allow to air dry before placing in the oven.

Juicy turkeys from the store

If you are able to purchase a Butterball, Honeysuckle, or similar turkey, brining is not required.

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“Essentially, most commercial birds, packaged in heavy plastic packaging, are injected with juice or brine,” Legg says. “With the addition of up to 30 percent water.” This liquid is a mixture of water, salt, flavorings and preservatives.

“The effect is similar to cooking poultry at home,” she says. “In the sense that it adds juiciness to the meat, especially the breast, which tends to be dry.”

Buy a digital meat thermometer.

“I cook the turkey to 70 degrees and measure it with a digital meat thermometer,” she says. We're talking about a $12 investment and it's widely available.

An easy way to roast a turkey

Legg's method produces the perfect turkey every time. Be sure to remove the giblets from the cavity of the commercially packaged turkey.

Preheat the oven to 160C. Set the rack low enough that the bird can fit on it without touching the top or sides of the oven. Once the turkey has air dried, brush it with room temperature butter. Chop 2 onions and place them inside the turkey with fresh herbs such as thyme and sage. Tie the legs, tuck the wings in and place on a rack in a baking sheet in the oven. Fry for approximately 15 minutes at 450 degrees.

While some cooks baste the turkey during cooking, Legg doesn't.

“I don’t get involved in this,” she says. “The only thing I do is cover it loosely with foil if the skin starts to brown too much.”

Check doneness using a digital meat thermometer. Stick it deep into the breast, but don't touch the bone.

When the temperature reaches 70C, remove the bird from the oven. Present it on a platter to the table.

Then, Legg says, take it to the kitchen to cut it up. If you are not serving it immediately, let the dish sit for 30 minutes after you remove it from the oven before cutting.

Breast meat will be perfect, Legg says, but thigh meat may be undercooked. In this case, she suggests heating this meat in the microwave for about 5 minutes while you carve the breast.

"By the time you're done, you'll be able to slice the dark meats too," she says.

The second option

The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (America's Test Kitchen, $34,95) offers the following.
Preheat the oven to 220С.

Start by placing the bird breast side down on the grill. After an hour, reduce the heat to 160C, remove the turkey and carefully turn it breast side up.

“Pour the juices from the turkey cavity into the pan. With a clean kitchen towel or oven mitts in each hand, grasp the turkey firmly by both ends and turn it over, placing it breast side up on the grill,” the recipe says.

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Return the bird to the oven to roast for 1 to 2,5 hours (depending on size). The meat is ready when the thigh temperature on a digital thermometer reaches 79C. Make sure the thermometer does not touch the bone.

Turkey with brine for deep frying

What if you have a turkey that has been pricked with a brine solution?

“The brine injection is really helpful on fried poultry to keep it from popping and foaming,” Legg says. Injection, like brining, makes the turkey juicy. But because the liquid is injected deep into the tissue, less water reaches the skin, which reduces splashing when the bird is dipped into the hot oil.

Legg doesn't recommend injecting the turkey for other cooking methods, such as roasting or grilling, because the holes you make for the injections will allow the juices to leak out.

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