HOW TO ROAST A TURKEY

Recipes by Chef Gina & Chef Edward

ChefDepot.com

Ingredients:

1 Turkey

1 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. fresh ground Sea Salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground White Pepper

6 fresh sprigs of Rosemary, or 2 Tbsp. Dried Rosemary

3 fresh sprigs of Thyme, or 1 Tbsp. Dried Thyme

Mirepoix; Equal parts of Carrots. Onions and Celery

1 Bay Leaf

1 Tbsp. Chicken Base + 2 Cups Water (for gravy)

2 Tbsp. + Cornstarch + 1/3 Cup Water (for gravy)

3 Tsp. Fresh Parsley

To cook a really good Roasted Turkey you need to carefully plan out your preparation.

First you need to select your perfect Turkey, fresh or frozen, size matters! When selecting a frozen bird, try to avoid Turkeys that have additives or a high water/salt content (also called brine). If cooking for a small group, a 10-12 pound Turkey might be good for you. When cooking for large groups, a 15-20 lb. Turkey might be a better choice. There is a chart below to help you correctly defrost the bird in the refrigerator. Do not put the Turkey in your sink and cover it with water, this can grow and spread bacteria, specifically Salmonella. If you purchase a fresh bird, it must be refrigerated and cooked within a few days.
Select a large enough Roasting Pan to hold the Turkey. Do not waste hundreds of dollars on a roasting pan, any thick metal roasting pan with handles will work fine. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Its a good idea to use an oven thermometer to occasionally check the calibration of your oven (most ovens, even new, are off 25 to 50 degrees). Using a good quality Maple Cutting Board, and a sharp Chef Knife, to rough cut the Carrots, Onions and Celery (Mirepoix). We usually use 3 stalks of Celery, 3 Carrots and a large Onion. Add these to the roasting pan. We use a bench scraper to easily pick up the vegetables and clean off our John Boos Au Jus Carving Board (this might be the perfect Carving Board, one side has a juice groove, the other is perfectly flat for food preparation, and maple wood naturally kills bacteria)!
Season the Turkey with Salt & Pepper. We use a pair of Electric Salt & Pepper Mills, fresh ground tastes better on everything. After seasoning the bird well with salt and pepper, place it on top of the Carrots, Onions and Celery (Mirepoix). Lift the skin thats on the top of the turkey and put the thyme and rosemary underneath. Do not add water or butter (this is a myth). Never stuff a Turkey! It is too large to properly cook the bird and effeciently heat the stuffing. Stuffing should be cooked in a separate pan (it only takes about 45 min. to cook stuffing (recipe below). Place the Turkey in the oven, right in the center. Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. and cook until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. We use a Digital Oven Thermometer for precise roasting results. You can also us a standard dial thermometer or a digital pocket thermometer to check the thickest part of the breast.

When the Turkey is done roasting, remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before carving. Click Here to see a Perfectly Roasted Turkey. The pan dripping and the Carrots, Onions and Celery (Mirepoix) should be added to a saucepan and simmered with 2 Cups of Chicken Stock with the bay leaf for 15 minutes, strained and then thickened with the cornstarch and water mixture for a tasty gravy. Carving a Turkey; You will need a sharp Carving Knife and Carving Fork, and a Carving Board . With the larger part of the Turkey facing you, carefully slice off the entire breasts, lay them on the carving board, remove the legs and thighs, there is a joint to separate them in the middle, pull off the wings, slice the breasts across (like carving a tenderloin), lay the thigh meat and legs and wings on each side of your serving platter! Garnish with parsley! Enjoy! With practice, your Turkey will look like this one - click here...

Stuffing Ingredients:
1 Large Loaf of Bread,
4 pc. Celery Stalks
3 lg. Carrots
1 lg. Onion
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 C. Chicken Stock
2 Lg. Eggs
1 Tbsp. Rubbed Sage
1 Tbsp. Dried Parsley
Sea Salt & White Pepper, to taste

Cut the bread into a large dice, place in a stainless steel mixing bowl. Cut the vegetables into a small dice. Heat a large Frying Pan and add the oil, when its hot, add the vegetables and saute until light brown, add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute.

Pour over the bread, add the eggs, season with the herbs, salt & pepper, and mix well using your hands, some cooks prefer to use latex gloves. Grease a small baking pan and press the stuffing firmly into the pan, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for 30-45 min.

Chefs Note: This is a simple recipe for roasting a turkey! Practice makes perfect with everything you cook. We usually use the leftover turkey for a pasta dish. Check the site, there are more Great Turkey recipes. Some of the bones get used for turkey stock and Turkey Barley Soup. Our Fresh ground Cinnamon, Whole Nutmeg, chopped, dried and minced Garlic or Sun Dried Tomato Powder, CousCous and Beet Powder can add a few new flavors to your meals, spice up your next meal! Great additions to pasta, saves time, and its always in the cabinet!

Time Required to Thaw a Frozen Turkey in Refrigerator
8 to 12 lbs.	2 to 3 Days
13 to 16 lbs.	3 to 4 Days
17 to 19 lbs.	4 to 5 Days
20 to 24 lbs.	5 to 6 Days