Roast Turkey

11 - 12 lb {4994-5448 g}

turkey feeds

8 - 9

people no leftovers,

2lbs/person lots of leftovers

Should take 65 minutes to roast breasts and about 85 minutes to roast legs of a 5kg turkey.

Thaw Turkey, prepare brining ice.

Turn down fridge to 1. Place packaged turkey in casserole to catch drips, and thaw for 3 days.

Power dethaw morning before if in a rush, use cold running water and change very hour or so to prevent ice accumulation on turkey.

Freeze Brining Solution two days before

5	yogurt containers (750ml) each with 12g salt

Prepare brining solution for freezing, this will be added to the brine so it may be left at room temp, in the sink. Covered. Pour into yogurt tubs and seal with lid.Freeze.

The brine solution should keep at around 40F/4C, with these huge chunks of ice floating around.

Brining the day before

Day before roasting cut up turkey and brine.

Prepare brine in large stockpot /container.

{64 g} 2

gallons 7.6 L cold water

1/3 cup {47 g}

coarse salt

Cut skin around legs and breast, and down the center of the breast bone.

Carefully remove both breasts and place in brine.

Remove wings, split, and reserve tips.

Spread legs and pop hip join, cut off and separate thigh from drum. Brine.

Cut off bum. Brine.

Unmold brining ice and add directly to brine.

Note	Use left over bits for roasted turkey stock.

Brine for 4 hours in fridge or somewhere cold.

Drying

Remove turkey, rinse in pot of cold running water to remove excess salt and drain and place in large container.

This tends to drain the turkey better, so the tray isn’t so full of water.

Refrigerate 1 hour then place turkey on rack on top of plastic try, refrigerate overnight to dry skin.

Transfer to tupperware prior to transport, skin side up.

Roasting

Preheat oven to 300F/148C (convection) For a 5kg bird, breasts will be done in approximately 65-70 minutes. Dark meat will be done in approximately 80-90 minutes.

Oven should be set at middle rack and one rack up from the bottom.

Season turkey liberally on all sides with poultry seasoning. Place drumettes and breasts on top rack. Insert probe longitudinally so that tip is at center of the thickest part of the breast. Place remainder of dark meat and bum in the other.

Place white meat on middle rack, and dark meat on lower.

Melt 1/2 stick of butter in microwave (60-75 seconds).

Roast breast until it reaches 90F/32C. (~35 minutes) Turn oven to Broil-Lo, remove white meat and brush with butter. Return to middle rack.

(Turn on warming drawer to STD.)

Note	(Assemble Stuffing Now).

Roast until breast reaches 145F/62C (~30 minutes). Carryover should take it to 160F/71C. If breasts are beginning to burn prior to reaching desired temp, swap with dark meat. Place stuffing in lower rack.

Remove probe. Transfer to large hotel pan or casserole and return to warming tray. Uncovered to prevent rubbery skin.

Continue roasting legs until 180F/82C or bone is clearly visible on base of drum sticks. Remove and place in warming tray with remaining turkey. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Carve entire bird and plate or reserve as necessary.

Note	Christmas 2014 - 0ne 5 KG bird + 2 legs. - will barely feed all the people.We actually served. 5kg,4kg bird + 4 legs.

Note	Browned skin is necessary, but crispy skin is hard to do ahead….

Use 2 1/2 hotel pan to store cooked turkey when done and cover loosely. Can add some liquid from roasting to keep turkey moist.. Then can carve and put back into oven, warming tray or steam table to keep warm. Cold turkey with piping hot gravy works too…

Note

2015-12-27

Christmas Turkey for 12

7 kg

bird

legs from Metro

Leftovers

1/2

breast

drum

Next time if possible

7 kg

bird

wh. Legs

{756 g} 4

thighs (ask at the meat counter at Metro)

Put into HI warming drawer in shallow hotel pan uncovered, keeps skin crispy.

Cook bird until 150F/65C. (150F/65C for 4 minutes will kill salmonella, 150F/65C @ 2 minutes will result in 7Log reduction).

Cooking to 160F/71C is too high, especially when placing in warming drawer.

Carve breast meat into < 5 mm thick slices, better for left overs the next day.

Carve Turkey thighs along the bone rather than de-boning cut, ensures better skin cut.

3 cup {0.0 g}

of gravy was sufficient for dinner, but not the leftovers.

Salmonella Kill Temp

6.5D

150

65.6

67 sec.

72 sec.

155

68.3

22 sec.

23 sec.

158

70.0

0 sec.**

Turkey breast meat should be at 160F/71C-165F/73C for palatability not food safety.

Turkey leg meat should be at 180F/82C for palatability not food safety.

Source

Note	2016-10-12 Roasted to 150F/65C and put into STD warming drawer for 30 minutes, hit 165, too dry. Should roast to 95F/145F/62C then put into LOW warming drawer. (cooked a little pink…)

Note	2016-12-1 Roast to 90F/145F/62C then put into STD warming drawer.

Note

2016-12-27

7 kg	turkey + 8 thighs, 2 drums would be good for 18 people.

Note	2017-10-09 Do not use butterball preseasoned turkey parts, the flavour is unfamiliar. Christine prefers uncle bens stuffing, Stove Top has too many crunchy onions.

Note

2018-12-26

Deboning and stuffing thighs

To stuff thighs, debone thighs by starting at fat line middle of the bone length and width wise cut towards the exposed bone (hip bone). As soon as able run knife under bone and cut towards hip freeing one side of bone. Use back of knife to scrape meat towards the knee. Remove bone, run hands along thigh and remove any remaining cartillege.

Use three pieces of string to tie thigh together,using a half hitch is difficult/problematic. Place three pieces of string on board, place thigh on top and spread with stuffing, approx 1/2 cup. Use triple overhand knot (allows cotton string to maintain itself) and lightly tighten center string, repeat with ones above and below. Snug all knots tightly and finish with another overhand knot. Cut off excess string.

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