The Taste of Hyderabad

Turkey

Introduction

Making a Christmas Turkey can give even a seasoned chef cold feet. Here we present some useful facts and method to make a perfect Turkey. But still some decisions have to be made by the chef himself depending on the size of the bird and the method used.

Before you do anything else to perfect your Christmas turkey, do these: buy the best one you can afford. Christmas is a time for overspending but a big bird is good value for money – not only on the day but also for all those sandwiches and leftovers that fill the following week. If buying from a butcher, get your order in early. This ensures you’ll get the variety and size you want. Fridge space is also a consideration but you can collect your fresh turkey a day or two before Christmas.

Always ask for the giblets (to use for stock and gravy) and remove them from the cavity of the bird as soon as you get it home. With a frozen turkey, always make sure it is fully defrosted before cooking.



  

Turkey Brine

7.4 Liters apple cider [or] Vinegar
2½ cups salt
1½ cups sugar
½ cup of ginger
4 tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
4 tablespoon whole allspice, coarsely crushed
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
12 whole cloves
6 bay leaves
Bag of ice

To prepare the brine, combine in a stock pot 3.7 liters of apple cider with the next seven ingredients (through bay leaves), bring to a boil. Cook five minutes until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let this cool.
If using a frozen turkey make sure it is completely thawed. Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey. Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the turkey in a large plastic cooler. Add the cider mixture, the remaining liters of cider, and enough ice to raise the level of liquid so that it covers the turkey. Close the cooler and let sit for 12-24 hours. Put cooler outside if cool and check a couple of times to see if additional ice is needed. The cooler should remain cold enough so that ice does not melt. If the outside temperature is below freezing, move the cooler where it will not freeze.
After the brining, remove the turkey, discard the brine liquid, and rinse the turkey in cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels. After brining, the cooler should be cleaned with boiling water and bleach. You would not want salmonella to grow and spoil your next tailgate.
You are now ready to cook the turkey in anyway you want. Roasted and smoked brined turkeys and both methods produced great results. This would work equally as well on a deep-fried turkey

Thawing times for frozen turkeys

4–5kg: 20 hours at room temperature; 65 hours in fridge
5–6kg: 24 hours at room temperature; 70 hours in fridge
6–7kg: 30 hours at room temperature; 75 hours in the fridge
8–9kg: 40 hours at room temperature; 80 hours in the fridge
9–11kg: 48 hours at room temperature; 96 hours in the fridge

Preparing to cook
If you’re cooking the turkey on Christmas Day, take it out of the fridge on Christmas Eve (or leave it overnight). It’s important to get it to a cool room temperature before roasting, otherwise cooking times are affected.

Allow plenty of time

You can always let the bird sit and wait for you once it is done. Never, under any circumstances, serve underdone turkey.
Calculate the roasting time
It’s helpful to do this the night before and make a note – it’s one less thing to do on a busy Christmas morning. All ovens are different so find out if yours is fast or slow (hot or not so hot.) Ask your butcher to give you the oven-ready weight, or go by the weight on the packaging. A handy tip is to weigh the stuffing separately and add it to the weight of the bird. This will give you the total weight to calculate the roasting time.

Prepare the bird
Place the turkey in the roasting tin, rub with butter or olive oil, season with salt and pepper and cover loosely with a tent of foil. This still allows it to go brown but helps prevent the breast from drying out. Also, you don’t want the foil wrapped too tight because you’ll need to baste the breast regularly. Make sure your oven is at full temperature when you first put the turkey in. For larger birds, it’s best to start the roasting at a moderately high temperature, then turn it down for the remainder of the time.
Basting
Let the turkey cook for just over half its roasting time, then baste with the juices using a baster or large spoon. Do this every 20 minutes or so, increasing the intervals to 10 minutes for the final half hour of cooking.

Oven - Roast Turkey

INGREDIENTS:

6.3 kg turkey
6 tbsp vegetable oil
125 g butter
1 lemon, halved
1 pack fresh rosemary
salt and freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION:
1. Preheat oven to 220oC/425F. Remove the giblets from the turkey. Rub oil on the outside of the bird and season well.
2. Place the butter, lemon and whole herbs in the cavity. Cook the bird breast-side down for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180oC/350F. Cook for 3½ hours, turning bird the right side up after 2 hours.
3. Test the turkey with a skewer in the leg joint. If blood comes out, give it another 20 minutes. If clear juices run out, it's cooked. Remove from the pan, wrap in foil and rest for 20 minutes while you make your gravy.

PREP/COOKING INFORMATION:

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Serves: 12

Roasting times for a turkey, stuffed or unstuffed, and approximate times for serving

4-5 kg: 3 hours at 200oC/400F

5-6 kg: 3–4 hours at 200oC/400F

6-7 kg: 30 minutes at 200oC/400F, then 3½ – 4 hours at 180oC/350F

8-9 kg: 30 minutes at 200oC/400F, then 4½ – 5 hours at 180oC/350F

These times are approximate, depending on your oven and how often you open the door to baste. Weight is the total weight, including any stuffing you may have used.

How do you know when it’s done?
Insert a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh. The juices should run clear with no sign of pink. If you’re at all unsure, return the turkey to the oven for another 30 minutes.

Resting

Once your turkey is cooked, it’s important to let it rest for at least 30 minutes or longer. This gives you time to finish roasting the vegetables in the oven and any other last-minute jobs. Cover it loosely with foil and keep in a warm place. Strain the juices and add to the gravy.

Deep-Fried Turkey

Whole fried turkey is the best illustration of just how delicious and greaseless fried food can be. Once you've tried it fried, you'll never go back to roast turkey. While the turkey is resting, take advantage of the big pot of oil to fry something else, like French fries. You can serve the turkey as the center of a big meal, such as Thanksgiving dinner; it will only take about an hour from setup to serving. Or you can have your guests make turkey or club sandwiches, and serve them with fries. You will need a 10-gallon pot (37 Ltrs), preferably one with a basket insert (available in hardware stores and stores where outdoor equipment is sold). The insert keeps the bird off the bottom of the pot and facilitates removing it from the oil. It is preferable to take the whole project outside the kitchen as you are dealing with a large bird and lots of oil.