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Turkey is the quintessential holiday bird, and the sight of a steaming hot roast on our tables is the archetypal festive image.
Yet despite its seasonal popularity turkey is notoriously difficult to cook, with many amateur chefs struggling to cook it through without making it feel like you’re chewing on papier mâché.
So, with this in mind we’ve put together a guide to show you the best way that you can cook your turkey.
1. Choose your turkey
First, catch your turkey. If this fails you can either buy one online, at the supermarket or your local butchers.
Supermarket turkeys can be bought either fresh or frozen, so if it’s the latter remember to thoroughly defrost it – because otherwise it won’t cook all the way through and it could make you seriously ill.
You should allow eight to 12 hours per kg if defrosting in your fridge, or three to four if defrosting in a cool room.
And whichever option you decide to go for, please remember to check it for giblets and take them out before roasting.
2. Prepare your turkey
Many a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner has been ruined because of an over-dry turkey, so most chefs say the best way of ensuring the meat remains moist is by brining it.
One of the reasons the meat has a tendency to dry out is because it’s so low in fat, so at least 24 hours before you plan to cook it, immerse it in a bath of 10 parts cold water to one part salt and any flavourings that take your fancy.
Flavourings usually include things like juniper berries, bouquet garni, peppercorns, herbs, spices and even vinegar and sugar. Some also recommend rubbing either a herb-infused butter or plain butter onto or underneath the skin to keep it moist.
Using a stuffing is a traditional way of trying to contain moisture, and also means you get to eat something extra which has been smothered in all those lovely roasting juices.
Make sure to leave enough room in the cavity because the stuffing will expand in the heat and remember not to forget to stuff the neck, which must be cool before it goes in.
If this doesn’t take your fancy, you can stuff the bird with fruits and vegetables such as lemons, carrots and onion. And remember truss the turkey up, to help prevent the legs drying out.
3. Roast the turkey
Make sure your turkey is bone dry, bring it up to room temperature first and set the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
The BBC recommends roasting the bird for 40 minutes per kilo for the first four kilos and then 40 minutes for every kilo on top of that – remember to weigh the turkey after it’s been stuffed.
Don’t forget to baste the juices over the turkey every 30 minutes or so over to ensure the breast doesn’t dry out
It’s done when the juices run clear between the thigh and the breast – check with a knife, and then let it rest for at least 30 minutes to keep it moist.
When carving, if any of the meat is pink then it needs to be cooked a bit more. While it’s resting, make the gravy.
According to Jamie Oliver, turkeys between 4-6kg should be rested for 1½ hours, and ones from 6-10kg can rest for two hours.
