Probably too late, but if you're fretting about a turkey, my top tip is to cook the legs separately. Turkey is not an easy bird to cook, even less forgiving than chicken. The breasts are at their best a shade undercooked, while the legs are better well (or very well) done. I've heard of an interesting method to put ice packs on the breasts for an hour or so prior to roasting if you want to cook the bird whole. This would give the legs a head start, the breasts a handicap. Another method, which I sometimes use on chickens, is to make deep slashes across the legs & thighs -- rub in butter, salt, pepper, whatever else *after* the slashing. This exposes a lot more surface area and lets the legs cook quicker. You also get more crispy edges and pieces are a little easier to pull off the bone if you don't mind kids eating with their fingers. For turkeys now, I always cook the legs separately, roasting the breasts on the bone, breast side down on high heat for a while (220C for about 45minutes), then breast side up at lower heat (200C), until done (I take it out when it's 65C near the bone, or sooner). When you flip it, rub a new coating of butter over the bird to encourage the skin to get lovely deep golden brown and crispy. No matter how you roast it, let it rest after the oven. Thirty minutes is fine, or even longer. Fifteen minutes minimum if you're super impatient.
I'm cooking goose as (now) usual for Christmas. Goose is much easier to cook than turkey. Even so, I cook the legs separately, just because having confit of goose leg later in the year is one of the delayed delights of christmas. Plus, goose fat! Down to the very last nutella-jar full of last year's bonanza.
4 comments:
yep, i need to do something different when cooking chicken.
have you tried one of those hollow tube things? same idea as the beercan, but (i'm assuming) less aluminum, less paint, and less plastic lining.
No, have never done the beercan chicken thing nor similar. Do you have a good thermometer (e.g. thermapen)? Try the chicken on high heat and pull it out when the breasts are just done (65C), and let it rest a bit. Rub the skin with butter and salt (and cracked black pepper or whatever else you want) prior to cooking.
Alternately: cook it breast-side down the whole time if you aren't bothered about crispy skin.
Another method: cut the backbone out, spread it all out, pushing down to flatten it slightly, cut deep slashes in the legs/thighs, butter it, cook it on very high heat, breast side down for 20 minutes, then right side up until done. Use a thermometer!
Really, the only rule for good chicken (breast meat) is don't overcook it.
Another thing I often do: cut the legs off, cook them separately (the legs I *do* prefer to overcook), and cut the breast meat off -- unlike turkey, in this case I often cut the breasts off the bone, and cook separately, cut up or not.
we had an Iranian / German BONELESS turkey, that the cook (Mahtab) had split up the spine and painstakingly REMOVED ALL the bones, except for the legs and wings. OMG was it EASY to cut, and SOOOOOOOOOOO delicious!!!! Raisins soaked in white wine, curry, mango, almonds, sourdough... it was heavenly!
That's a very thoughtful cook. I trust "German/Iranian" refers to the preparation method of the bird and not the origin of the bird itself :-)
Sounds good!
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