By following some basic principles you can get a perfectly moist tender turkey and hopefully should relieve some of the pressure from Christmas day.
- Don’t stuff the turkey with stuffing. Sounds strange but due to the shape of the cavity, the stuffing may not cook evenly, and except for the small amount that sticks out of the end, it doesn’t get all browned and crusty.
- Don't overcook the turkey. By the time the centre of the stuffing is cooked to a safe temperature, the breast meat on the turkey will be overcooked and dry. If you want that classic look, simply spoon the stuffing (cooked separately) into the cavity when you bring the turkey to the table.
- Season the turkey thoroughly - you need to be generous with the salt and pepper, a pinch of salt is not going to season a 7.5kg bird! And always season inside the cavity. I avoid seasoning the skin as it won’t absorb salt so it leaves a crust but what I do is mix the salt and pepper into room temperature butter and push it between the skin and the flesh, which helps keep the meat moist and well-seasoned. I then also rub the skin with the butter and cover it in streaky bacon to again help stop the meat from drying out. Sometimes if I am cooking a massive turkey I will cover the breasts in tin foil also and then remove it for the last hour of cooking to get the skin crispy.
- Baste the turkey. It’s the real key to getting a lovely moist turkey, fat helps protect the meat and stops it drying out in the cooking process.
- Trussing or tying the turkey is important, it does two things - one is it plumps the breasts for carving and the second is it keeps the legs close to the rest of the carcase which again stops the turkey from drying out.
- Bring turkey out for one hour before roasting to take the chill off. Take two carrots, two sticks of celery, and an onion and cut into large chunks. Place on the bottom of a deep roasting pan. Put the turkey, breast side up on top of the vegetables. Add about a half-inch of liquid (water or stock) to the roasting pan and place in the preheated oven. This will keep the oven moist for the cooking stages and evaporate towards the end. This aromatic liquid can be used to baste the turkey while it cooks along with all the natural juices and fats that are released and eventually turned into a golden rich gravy.
- The golden rule has to be make sure you can actually get your turkey in your oven! Sounds funny but measure the capacity of your oven before you go turkey shopping and even measure the turkey in the shop to make sure you can cook it.
- As a guide, if the bird is under 4kg, cook it for 20 minutes per kg and then add 70 minutes onto that time. If the bird is over 4kg still cook it for 20 minutes per kg but add 90 minutes onto that time in a preheated oven fan assisted at 190c.
- Let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes. When you remove it from the oven, turn the turkey upside down and rest it on its breast, cover it very loosely with foil, and go about getting everything else ready.
Advice on what size turkey to purchase:
- 2.5kg - 3kg 4-6 people
- 3.5kg - 4kg 7-9 people
- 4.5kg - 5kg 9-10 people
- 5.5kg - 6kg 10-12 people
- 6.5kg - 7kg 12-14 people
- 7.5kg - 8kg 15-17 people
- 8+kg 18+ people