Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving Day is a joyous family festival celebrated with lot of enthusiasm in US, Canada and several other countries. On this day people express gratitude to God for his blessings and give thanks to dear ones for their love & support. Feasting with family is an integral & most delightful part of Thanksgiving Day celebrations. On this occasion there are family gatherings and holiday meals, giant balloons and holiday parades. It's the time for all the fun with your family. In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October andin United States, it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

2008 Thanksgiving in United States is on Thursday, the 27th of November. Thanksgiving Day, as the name itself suggests, is a time to offer thanks.

One story tells of how Queen Elizabeth of 16th century England was chowing down on roast goose during a harvest festival. When news was delivered to her that the Spanish Armada had sunk on it way to attack her beloved England, the queen was so pleased that she order a second goose to celebrate the great news. Thus, the goose became the favorite bird at harvest time in England. When the Pilgrims arrived in America from England, roasted turkey replaced roasted goose as the main cuisine because wild turkeys were more abundant and easier to find than geese. Thus Turkey has always been associated with Thanksgiving. In fact, turkey is actually a very important part of the Thanksgiving dinner menu. This is why Thanksgiving Day has also been called "Turkey Day."

Finding the perfect turkey for your needs is the first step to a memorable Thanksgiving dinner. With so many turkeys on the market, trying to choose your holiday bird can be mind-boggling. To help you find the perfect turkey, here are some simple steps to choose a good turkey.

Fresh vs. Frozen

• Fresh: A turkey may be labeled "fresh" only if it has never been chilled below 26°F.
• Frozen: Turkeys chilled below 0°F must be labeled "frozen". Or, if they're sold already defrosted, you may see "previously frozen" on the label. Freezing adversely affects the texture and taste of the meat.
• Hard-chilled or not previously frozen: Turkeys that have been chilled below 26°F, but not below 0°F can't be labeled fresh, but they don't have to be labeled frozen either. If a turkey isn't labeled as either fresh or frozen, it's most likely in "hard-chilled" or "not previously frozen" category.

Tip: Always choose a fresh turkey without any added ingredients, and organic, kosher or premium-brand turkeys are all great options.

Once you've determined the turkey either fresh or frozen, you'll have other qualities to consider. Many turkeys carry labels like "all-natural", "free-range", and "organic". Still other specialty turkeys don't fall into neat categories but are distinguished by brand.

• Organic: A certified organic turkey will have been raised on 100% organic feed, given access to the outdoors, and will never have received antibiotics.
• Kosher: A kosher label may only be used on poultry that has been processed under rabbinical supervision. The turkeys are grain-fed with no antibiotics and are allowed to roam freely.
• Self-basting: A self-basting turkey has been injected with or marinated in a solution of fat and broth or water, plus spices, flavor enhancers, and other "approved substances".
• Free-range: By USDA definition, "free-range" simply means that the birds have access to the outdoors. But what really affects the quality of the meat is how crowded the birds are, not whether they can go outdoors. Some of the best turkeys are therefore not technically free-range, simply because the uncaged birds don't roam outdoors.
• Natural: The term "natural" simply means "no artificial ingredient or color added, and minimally processed".

Determine the size of Turkey (a simple Turkey math)

Turkey is the traditional entree for Thanksgiving dinner, but it's important to determine the size of turkey you'll need based on the number of people you are feeding. Thanksgiving is a time for an abundant feast, so you will want to be sure that you have a generous amount of turkey.

• Plan one pound of turkey for each adult and 1/2 pound for each child. It sounds like a lot per person, remember that the cooked turkey will weigh less, and the bones will not be consumed.
• If you want to ensure you have leftovers, increase the size of the turkey by 50%.

Refrigerate Fresh Turkey: A whole turkey purchased fresh (not frozen) may safely be refrigerated up to 2 days before roasting.

How to Thaw Frozen Turkey?

Although a whole turkey purchased frozen may safely be thawed in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave oven, thawing in the refrigerator is recommended.

• Thaw turkey in the refrigerator: Keep the turkey wrapped and place it in a pan; let stand about 24 hours for each 5 pounds of turkey. Let large turkeys stand a maximum of 5 days in the refrigerator.
• Thaw turkey in cold water: Make certain that the turkey is in a leakproof package or a zipper-seal plastic bag. Change the cold water every 30 minutes. Approximately 30 minutes per pound of turkey are required for thawing.After thawing in cold water, the turkey should be cooked immediately.
• Thaw in the microwave: Before commencing to thaw food in the microwave oven, remove the food from its store wrap. Consult the manufacturer's instructions for the size turkey that will fit into your oven, the minutes per pound and power level to use for thawing. Turkeys thawed in the microwave must be cooked immediately after thawing.

• Remove the neck and giblets (heart, gizzard, liver).
• Use the heart and gizzard for making stock for the stuffing.
• The neck can be cooked along side the turkey or saved for turkey soup.
• Wash out the turkey with water.
• Pull out any remaining feather stubs in the turkey skin.
• Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.

The purpose of brining is to tenderize the meat while adding flavor. Brining saturates the meat with the flavor of these seasonings. Unlike marinating, which flavors the outside, brining gives you deeper flavor and increased moisture.

• The basic formula for a brine is 1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups kosher salt for every gallon of liquid (whether water, juice, stock or beer).
• You can also add sugar and any other seasonings to taste; try herbs, garlic or peppercorns.
• The larger the meat, the longer it should brine; while shrimp only need about half an hour, a whole turkey takes 6 to 8 hours or so.
• Add ice to the brine to keep it under 40 degrees Fahrenheit in case you don't have room in the refrigerator.
• Once you're done brining, remove the meat from the brine, pat it dry and cook it the same way you would otherwise.

Do not stuff the turkey until immediately before roasting. When ready to roast the turkey, rinse the outside and cavities of the bird under cold, running water. Cut away and discard any fat remaining on the bird. Place the turkey on several layers of paper towels to drain. Using additional paper towels, pat the outside and cavities dry. Sprinkle cavity liberally with salt and pepper.

• Stand the bird on its tail end in a large bowl; using a tablespoon, stuff the neck cavity loosely with dressing.
• Pull the neck skin over the dressing and fasten it to the body with a poultry skewer.
• Turn the bird and place the neck end in the bowl; stuff the body cavity loosely with dressing.
• Remove the turkey from the bowl and lay the bird, breast side up, on a piece of waxed paper or directly on a clean work surface.
• Pull the legs close to the body and tie the ends together with cotton string. If the tail has been left on the bird, tie the legs to the tail to partially close the body cavity.
• Some frozen turkeys are packed with a metal clamp to secure the legs, in which case it is not necessary to tie the legs with string.
• Fold the wings under the bird to provide a platform for roasting.
• Place the turkey, breast side up, on a wire rack in a shallow roasting pan.
• Brush all the exposed surfaces with vegetable oil.
• Sprinkle liberally with your choice of herbs, spices, salt, and pepper.
• Insert a meat thermometer into one of the inner thigh areas near the breast.

Tips:

• It is important to stuff the dressing fairly loosely in the bird because dressing expands during cooking.
• Place Thermometer as such the tip of the thermometer is not touching bone.

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cover the turkey loosely with extra-heavy aluminum foil, leaving space between the bird and the foil.
• Lightly tuck the foil around the front, back, and sides of the bird.
• Do not add water to the pan. Roast the turkey until the meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees F. and the juices run clear. (Click for approximate roasting times.)
• The roasting time may vary up to 30 minutes, depending upon the bird and the oven.
• Use the meat thermometer to check the temperature of the dressing. The center of the dressing inside the bird must reach a temperature of 165 degrees F.
• Remove the aluminum foil about 30 minutes before the turkey is done to complete the browning of the bird.
• When done, remove the turkey from the oven and place it on a serving platter or carving board; cover loosely with aluminum foil and let it stand 10 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, make the Turkey Gravy.
• Remove all the dressing from the neck and body cavities before carving the turkey. Pour the gravy into a gravy boat and pass at the table.

"Happy Thanksgiving!!!"