Have guests coming over tonight and not quite sure what to do with the bundle of turkey in the fridge? How do you transform it into a glorious bit of golden perfection on the Christmas dinner table?
Have no fear, it turns out my 7-Step Thanksgiving Turkey Guide: The Secret to a Juicy, Tender Bird is the Clay Pot does double duty as the ultimate way to roast a holiday turkey, which, as we all know, is a close cousin of the Thanksgiving turkey.
Here are some tips to make sure you have a successful holiday turkey:
1. Unless someone in your family or guest list really has a craving for stuffing that comes out of the turkey, bake the stuffing separately. It is much easier to control the cooking time and juiciness of your turkey meat if you don’t have to worry about the center of your stuffing in the turkey rising to the proper temperature.
2. Lift the skin of the turkey and slip some pads of butter in between as another way to ensure juicy meat.
3. Have plenty of turkey gravy around. I like the stuff that comes in cartons. In case your turkey meat comes out a little dry, nothing like lots of turkey gravy to compensate. Ditto for nice buttery mash potatoes.
4. If you don’t have a clay pot, cover the turkey in foil until the last 30-40 minutes of roasting. At this point, turn up the oven so that the skin become golden and crisp.
Good luck!