The festive season is here, and it calls for nothing less than an extravagant wholesome meal.
With plenty of get-togethers and last-minute party plans, it may be hard to keep up with a delicious meaty menu.
Apart from your regular chicken or fish appetisers, the true star of your festive table has got to be a turkey. No matter how many side dishes you have, seal the deal with a delicious turkey.
We’re here to tell you how you’re going to get the perfect juicy, crispy, golden-brown turkey that will have everyone going gaga over it!
Essential Turkey Tips
- Size of the turkey
Stick to buying a bird that is around the range of 4.5-5kgs. If you are serving a large gathering, opt for two small turkeys rather than one large turkey. This ensures the birds will absorb the flavour thoroughly and will be super juicy and tender.
2. Fresh vs Frozen?
Fresh is always the answer to that question. If your bird is frozen, the moisture loss is relatively high. This will significantly affect the taste and will leave the bird rather flavourless.
It is a given that fresh turkey would absorb all the ingredients better when compared to a frozen turkey.
3. Brining
Always remember to brine your turkey. The easiest way to brine your turkey is to let it sit in sugar and saltwater for a good 12 hours. Go ahead and add in other additional spices to give it a personalised touch.
The meat will absorb this water and even after the turkey is cooked. The moisture will remain thanks to brining, therefore giving you the juiciest turkey ever.
How To Cook Your Turkey
There are plenty of ways to cook your turkey. However, to get your perfect turkey that is well seasoned, juicy and golden-brown, this is the best and easiest way to achieve it.
Spatchcocking: Step by Step Method
To lay it out the easier way, spatchcocking is cutting out the backbone of your turkey and laying it out flat.
- Place the turkey breast side down on the cutting board and give it a quick rub with paper towels.
- Use a solid poultry shear to ensure your cut is smooth. Hold the bird firmly and make a cut alongside the backbone till you’ve opened up the bird entirely up to the neck.
- Once the backbone is removed, you will see some fat stored up near the neck. Scoop it out with a knife or your fingers.
- Lay the bird flat on the racked set in a rimmed baking foil.
- Your bird is now ready to be popped into the preheated oven.
- Use a thermometer to check if your turkey is ready.
How To Carve Your Turkey: Step by Step
Carving turkeys may seem overwhelming due to the size of the bird, but we’re here to tell you it’s quite simple. Here’s how you can do it.
- Take a razor-sharp knife of an average size that is neither too small nor too large.
- Begin by cutting between the leg and the breast with a fair amount of skin.
- Pull the leg entirely out of the bird.
- You will now see the exposed thigh near the hip of the bird. Carve out meat from there.
- Once the second leg is free, you can easily slice through the meat with the skin to get pieces of your choice.
Since Turkeys can be quite filling, we suggest you opt to cut thin slices.
This way, everyone at the dinner table gets their share. They can always opt for a second serving instead of letting it go to waste.
Leftovers: Storing and Serving
With a juicy, tender turkey on your table, we’re not too sure if you’d have leftovers. But just in case you do, here’s what you can do with your leftover turkey.
Storage:
You’ll need to wrap your turkey in foil and refrigerate it for the next couple of hours. Here’s a little extra tip we’ll let you in on.
While storing your turkey, try and debone it completely. When you next consume it, it gets easier to heat. At the same time, you can use the bones for a delicious hot turkey broth.
Serving:
Since you have de-boned your turkey, it is now easy to heat it. You can create easy recipes with your leftover turkey or have it as it is.
From a delicious turkey sandwich to tame your evening cravings to a quick shredded turkey salad on a hectic workday, you can pick out easy recipes and create a whole new dish out of it.
This holiday season, get your hands on some delicious, juicy turkey. Buy now.