Thaindian News

By Meena Kar
Nov 25, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Though scrambling the web at the last moment for turkey recipes might not be the most fun thing to do on Thanksgiving, the web has been abuzz with recipes and tips on how to cook the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. For all those cooking turkeys for the first time, it is essential to keep in mind some basic details on the art of preparing the perfect stuffed or unstuffed turkey. This year there has also been a buzz surrounding grilled turkeys and unusual stuffing recipes, but the ones who want to stick to traditions should keep in mind that ‘old is gold’.

Considering the size of the bird, it is essential to keep in mind that the turkey needs more time than cooking the chicken. The texture of the flesh is slightly different too and thus the technique involved in its cooking can sometimes by tricky for those cooking it for the first time. Based on the weight of the turkey, food bloggers have offered approximate times that the bird should be kept in the oven. For birds that weigh between 3-3.5kgs the time varies from 2 and half to 3 and half hours depending on whether one wants stuffing or not. A stuffed bird, naturally, needs more cooking time and also extra resting time (20+ minutes) for the juices to spread throughout the bird.

For a bird weighing more than 5 kgs, the cooking time for a stuffed recipe can go up to 4 hours. Many complain that the meat of the turkey has a tendency to become hard and chewy in spite of long hours of cooking. To avoid the problem, one should make sure that the brining is done properly (most recommended: overnight).