Marilyn’s Blog

Turkey Recipes and Safety

<strong>Safety:</strong> When cooking poultry, it is crucial to follow proper temperature guides for doneness. Other meats can be enjoyed at different levels of doneness, but poultry is done when it’s done. Turkey is fully cooked when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 175F. At that point the turkey should be removed from the oven, tented with foil and left to rest for 25 minutes. When cooking a stuffed turkey, it is very important that a thermometer also be inserted into the thickest part of the stuffing. The thermometer should read a minimum of 165F. As a turkey cooks, juices that may contain salmonella will have been absorbed into the stuffing, therefore it is necessary to reach this temperature to kill any potentially harmful bacteria.

<strong>Turkey quality</strong>: We put a lot of effort into selecting our holiday turkey. When turkey is cooked properly, it is juicy, tender and divine. Often stuffed birds require far longer in the oven to provide adequate time for the stuffing to cook – and in turn end up dry and over-cooked.

<strong>Texture:</strong> Stuffing cooked in the bird can be lovely, however, it is often slightly soggy. This is completely understandable given that bread is porous and continues to absorb the moisture of the bird as it cooks. One of the benefits of preparing your stuffing outside of the bird is that you can visually see the fruits of your labour. If you have browned your stuffing it will still be caramelized and crispy, vegetables can remain fork-tender without being overcooked, fresh herbs will still be bright and full of flavour. If you miss the flavour of the turkey juices in your stuffing, then simply stir some of the cooked drippings into your stuffing just prior to serving.

<strong>Time:</strong> Stuffing can be prepared a day in advance and stored in your refrigerator. To reheat, be sure to arrange your racks appropriately prior to baking your turkey ensuring you save room for your dish of stuffing. To reheat the stuffing bake it on the lower rack, underneath the turkey.

<strong>Appearance:</strong> While stuffing that is cooked in the bird can taste delicious, it often lacks a little something in the looks department. After all it’s been sweating inside a turkey for hours! A separate stuffing that accompanies the bird allows your dish to shine and can be a great visual addition to your holiday table.
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<h1>Maple and herb roast turkey with sherry gravy</h1>
Published by Chatelaine on 01/12/2012

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<div><a href=”http://food.chatelaine.com/Content/recipe-images/Maple-and-herb-roast-turkey-with-sherry-gravy-0-l.jpg”> <img src=”http://food.chatelaine.com/Content/recipe-images/Maple-and-herb-roast-turkey-with-sherry-gravy-0-l.jpg” alt=”Photo” width=”207″ height=”207″ /> </a></div>
<div>Ryan Szulc</div>
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<div id=”recipe-meta”><label>Preparation time 30 minutes</label><label>Roasting Time 3 hours15 minutes</label>
<div><label>Makes 10 Servings </label></div>
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<h3>Ingredients</h3>
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<li>1/2 cup butter, at room temperature</li>
<li>1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme or 1 tbsp dried thyme</li>
<li>1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano or 1 tbsp dried oregano</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>6 kg turkey, thawed if bought frozen (13-15 lb)</li>
<li>1 cup dry sherry</li>
<li>1/4 cup maple syrup</li>
<li>1 large onion, cut in half</li>
<li>1 bay leaf</li>
<li>1/4 cup all purpose flour</li>
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<li>Position oven rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat to 325F. Place a rack in a roasting pan. Stir butter with herbs and salt in a small bowl.</li>
<li>Wash and dry turkey well. Reserve giblets. Rub herbed butter underneath and over skin of turkey. Transfer turkey to rack in pan. Bend and tuck wings under the bird and loosely tie drumsticks with twine. Pour sherry into pan along with 1/2 cup water. Cover tightly with foil.</li>
<li>Roast in bottom third of oven for 2 hours. Remove foil and brush turkey with maple syrup. Continue roasting, uncovered, until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 175F, about 1 more hour, for a total cook time of about 15 min per 500 g. Transfer turkey to a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and let rest at least 25 min before carving.</li>
<li>Place giblets in a medium saucepan. Cover with water. Add onion and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, 30 min. Strain and save liquid. Discard giblets.</li>
<li>Skim off any fat floating on pan juices. Place pan over 2 burners or pour juices into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium. Sprinkle in flour while whisking constantly, until smooth. Whisk in 2 cups giblet or chicken broth. Whisk until thickened, about 5 min.</li>
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<h4>Prep Tip:</h4>
For a stuffed turkey, stuff and roast as above. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in centre of stuffing reads 165F, about 2 more hours, for a total of about 20 min per 500 g.</li>
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<h1>Sausage stuffing with water chestnuts</h1>
Published by Chatelaine on 01/12/2011

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<div><a href=”http://food.chatelaine.com/Content/recipe-images/Sausage-stuffing-with-water-chestnuts-0-l.jpg”> <img src=”http://food.chatelaine.com/Content/recipe-images/Sausage-stuffing-with-water-chestnuts-0-l.jpg” alt=”Photo” width=”161″ height=”161″ /> </a></div>
<div>Ryan Szulc</div>
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<div id=”recipe-meta”><label>Preparation time 30 minutes</label><label>Cooking time 40 minutes</label>
<div><label>Makes 10 Servings </label></div>
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<h3>Ingredients</h3>
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<li>675 g loaf sliced white bread, crusts removed</li>
<li>1 tbsp vegetable oil</li>
<li>4 Italian sausages, meat removed from casings</li>
<li>2 cups chopped onion</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery, including leaves</li>
<li>280 mL can water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped</li>
<li>1/3 cup butter</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 cup chicken broth</li>
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<li>Position oven racks in top and bottom thirds of oven. Preheat to 350F. Slice bread into 1-in. cubes. It should measure about 10 cups. Spread out on 2 large baking sheets. Toast in oven, stirring occasionally, rotating and switching sheets halfway through, until golden and dry, about 10 min. Transfer to a large bowl. Reduce heat to 325F.</li>
<li>Heat a large pot over medium-high. Add oil, then sausage meat. Using a fork, break up meat until crumbly. Cook, stirring often, until no pink remains, 3 to 5 min. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, celery, chestnuts, butter and salt. Cook, uncovered, stirring, until onion is soft, about 5 min. Season with pepper. Stir into toasted bread. Transfer to a large baking dish. Drizzle with broth.</li>
<li>Bake in bottom of oven, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 30 min.</li>
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<h4>Make Ahead Tip:</h4>
Stuffing can be made a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate before baking for up to 1 day.</li>
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<h4>Cooking Tip:</h4>
To bake stuffing at same time as turkey, position 2 racks in lower part of oven. Bake stuffing below turkey.</li>
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