How To Cook A Turkey

If there’s one event in the year that gets everyone feeling warm and fuzzy, it’s Christmas.

However, for the cook, this is also the time for anxiety. It’s not unusual to be cooking for much larger gatherings than we do normally, and the need to impress just adds even more pressure!

So, we’ve decided this year we’ll take out all the guesswork and worry for Christmas by showing you, step by step, how to make a delicious Christmas turkey, as cooked by yours truly!

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 2 hours 30 mins (30 mins per 2 pounds of turkey)

Total time: 3 hours

Servings: 8

Ingredients: 

• 1 whole fresh turkey (ours was 11 pounds)
• 2 onions
• 3 lemons
• 1 cup of butter
• 3 garlic cloves
• Handful of parsley
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Try to use fresh turkey instead of frozen. Ice crystals can form when turkey is frozen which damage the muscle cells. This fluid leaks out when thawing which dries the meat out.

Take the fresh turkey out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start preparing it for going into the oven. This will reduce shrinkage in a hot oven.

If your only option is frozen turkey, make sure the turkey is completely defrosted before you attempt to cook.

Remove all the wrappings, place onto a tray or plate (must be deep and wide enough to contain blood or juice that could seep out), cover loosely with foil and place into the fridge.

Allow about 24 hours for each 4 - 5 pounds of frozen turkey. After the turkey has thawed, check that there are no ice crystals in the cavity, and pat the inside and outside surface dry using paper towels.

2. Preheat the oven to 420°F (for at least 20 minutes so the temperature is even). Remove the giblets.

3. Make the turkey stuffing. Using a chef’s knife and wooden cutting board, cut your onions in half (no need to skin).

We recommend using the Chef Remi Chef’s Knife as the blade is made from razor sharp stainless steel, which can easily cut through slippery onions.

We recommend the Chef Remi Cutting Board as it naturally kills surface bacteria, so you can slice and chop away, without worrying about germs or food poisoning.

4. Season the cavity of the bird with a generous dose of salt and pepper. Now, carefully fill the turkey cavity with the halved onions and one of your lemons.

The lemon will impart a gorgeous citrus aroma, and the onions a delicious sweetness as they steam inside the turkey during cooking.

5. Make your herb butter. In a bowl, add the softened butter. Don’t worry if you have forgotten to take out the butter earlier to soften. Simply grate your butter using the coarse grate of a cheese grater – instant soft butter!

We recommend using the Chef Remi Cheese Grater– butter shavings have a habit of melting fast and making a mess of your counter tops. Our cheese grater allows you to grate foods directly into the snap on container.

6. Remove the skin of your garlic cloves by using the flat of your Chef Remi Chef’s Knife blade to bash each clove on a wooden cutting board. Then mince your garlic finely.

7. Roughly chop your parsley using your Chef Remi Chef’s Knife.

8. Zest your remaining 2 lemons using the fine grate of the Chef Remi Cheese Grater, and then juice the lemons.

9. Add the minced garlic, chopped parsley, and the zest and juice of the lemons to the softened butter, and then season with a touch of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly using a mixing spatula.

We recommend using the Chef Remi 3 Piece Spatula Set as the thin, flexible food grade silicone can scrape and mix the butter mixture thoroughly without leaving lumps.

10. Very carefully, use your forefinger to open up the turkey skin at the top of the thighs. You want to just loosen the skin and create room between the skin and flesh of the turkey so you can place the herb butter underneath, making sure you do not tear the skin and keep it intact.

Then, turn the turkey 180 degrees and loosen the rest of the skin. Remember to be careful – you don’t want to break the skin as the butter will run out instead of staying on the turkey flesh.

11. Take a handful of herb butter into your hands and roll into a ball. Then flatten it under the skin of the turkey near the top of the thighs. Once it is in, you can pull back the skin to hold the butter in, and use your other hand to push and manipulate the butter further inside.

Turn the bird around 180 degrees. Roll another handful of herb butter into a ball and repeat.

This is very important. Turkey is a lean meat, which means it can dry out easily when cooking. By placing your herb butter underneath the skin, you create a ‘protective shield’ that keeps moisture and flavor inside the turkey, instead of it all leaching out.

12. Rub and massage the remaining herb butter over the skin, on the legs, breast and wings.

13. Place the turkey into a roasting pan, and then into the preheated oven. You need to cook for 30 minutes for every 2 pounds of turkey (our turkey was 11 pounds, so we cooked for 2.5 hours).

Please remember, some ovens cook faster, so don’t just take the above estimated times for granted. Keep an eye on your turkey to stop overcooking and drying out the bird. 

14. Baste the turkey regularly while cooking (we recommend every 30 minutes). This is very important!

Dry, tasteless turkey happens when a roast is overcooked. By basting at regular intervals, you drastically reduce the chances of overcooking. You’re also ‘adding back’ flavour that has leached out during cooking.

We recommend using the Chef Remi Turkey Baster. It has a durable, food grade silicone bulb which creates powerful suction to suck up even heavy marinades and juices in a roasting pan – much faster and less messy than using a ladle.

The bulb can also be comfortably squeezed from any angle so you can baste the whole surface. You can even stand the baster upright when not in use – it will not spill a drop of marinade and mess up your kitchen counter tops.

15. Take the turkey out of the oven and remove the filling (lemon and halved onions). Do not throw away as this can be used to make a delicious gravy!

16. Allow the turkey to rest in a warm area, uncovered, for up to 2.5 hours. The heat from the oven forces all the juices to move to the center of the bird.

Allowing the turkey to rest before carving lets the juices redistribute as the meat relaxes, so it’s easier to carve and you also get a moister turkey. Don’t worry about the turkey going cold. It doesn’t need to be piping hot, just serve it with hot gravy.

Merry Christmas!