How to Prepare a Turkey

While popular during Thanksgiving, turkey has become a staple of everyday meals. There are numerous recipes of cooking a whole turkey. Read on to learn how to cook turkey.

Things You'll Need

• Cooking rack
• Paper napkins
• Roasting pan
• Pepper
• Salt
• Cheesecloth
• Cooking string
• Water
• Butter or olive oil
• Oven
• Stuffing
• Turkey
• Pastry brush

Instructions

1. Get a turkey. Wash the turkey thoroughly in running water.

2. Remove giblets from the bird and start boiling them in a pan of water at low heat. This for necessary for stuffing.

3. Use paper napkins to dry the washed turkey.

4. Place the bird in a roasting pan big enough to hold the bird. Make sure no portion is hanging out of the roasting pan.

5. Keep a cooking rack in the oven. Turn the oven on and set it to pre-heat at 450 degrees.

6. Lightly fill the stuffing inside the cavity. The neck cavity can also be filled.

7. Use cooking string to tie the bird's legs with its tail. Alternatively, legs can be tucked under the tail. Fold the wings under its back.

8. Make a mixture of equal parts salt and black pepper powder. Sprinkle salt and pepper on to the turkey.

9. Apply butter or olive oil. Use a pastry brush for application.

10. Soak cheesecloth in melted butter and spread it on the turkey.

11. Place the turkey in the pre-heated oven. Cook it for 30 minutes.

12. Baste the turkey with butter or olive oil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

13. Cook for at least three quarters of the cooking time, basting the turkey every 30 minutes.

14. Remove extra juices from the roasting pan and collect it in a separate vessel.

15. Check the giblet stock and remove it from fire after it has simmered for two hours.

16. Check the brownness of the turkey. If it is insufficient for your taste, remove the cheesecloth covering and continue to roast it uncovered.

17. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey. Make sure that it does not hit any bone. Continue cooking until the thermometer shows 180 degrees. The reading for stuffing should be 140 to 160 degrees.

18. Turn off the oven. Take out the roasting pan containing the cooked turkey.

19. Place it on the serving dish. Keep it for 30 minutes before carving.

20. Cover it safe aluminum foil to keep the turkey warm.

21. Mix pan juices with giblet stock. Boil for sometime to make the gravy and transfer it to a serving bowl.

22. Serve the turkey with side dishes such as fresh fruits, mashed potatoes, herbs, roasted Brussels sprouts or cranberry sauce.

Tips & Warnings

• Fresh turkey is better than frozen turkey.

• When planning a turkey dinner, account for one to one and a half pounds for each person. For example, a 12-pound turkey may be sufficient for seven people.

• Leftover turkey meat can be used for other recipes. Left over turkey bones are a good base for making turkey stock that can be frozen for up to four months.

• Instead of filling the stuffing in the cavity, serve it separately as a side dish.

• The slices of turkey are used in sandwiches or burritos.

• Avoid stuffing the turkey much ahead of baking. It may spoil the stuffing rendering it unfit for consumption.

• Avoid slow cooking of turkey or at temperature lower than 325 degrees. It creates a breeding ground for bacteria in the bird cavity.

• Do not cook turkey in a microwave. It may leave some hot and cool spots rendering the meat unfit for consumption.