911Turkey Tips For Chefs in Despair
— -- Does your Thanksgiving turkey always come out overcooked? You're not alone.
Last Thanksgiving, frantic cooks had a slew of last-minute turkey cooking questions for Good Morning America's food editor Sara Moulton. If you've got an urgent turkey question for Moulton, ask her for help via online e-mail form.
But first, check out our most popular turkey questions from past Thanksgivings.
Defrosting the Turkey
Holly Burg from Hilton, N.Y., e-mailed with this question. "My turkey is still partially frozen, how do I get it thawed?"
Moulton advised her to fill up her sink with cold water and put the turkey in breast side down. The defrosting takes 30 minutes per pound, and you should defrost the turkey in a sink full of cold water. (On Thanksgiving morning, this will work for turkeys, 10 to 12 pounds, but for larger ones, you will have to wait until Friday to cook.)Also, you should change the water frequently.
Overcooking the Turkey
An e-mail from Melissa of New York said her mom always overcooks the turkey. What can she do?
Moulton offered the following tips:
Keep moisture in the bottom of the pan that you cook the turkey in. You could use chicken broth, as Moulton did.
Follow the time chart. (See chart below) The government says that you should cook turkey about 20 to 25 minutes per pound, but Moulton generally cooks it for more like 15 minutes per pound.
When you first start, smear up your breast with some butter, and cover it tightly with aluminum foil until the last hour to keep the moisture in. In the last hour of cooking, remove the cover, and it will brown nicely, she said.
The main thing is to check your turkey 30 to 45minutes before the lower temperature on that chart. For instance, if you have a 12-14 pounder, check it at 2 1/2 hours, notthree hours.
Allow yourself like an extra hour from the point that you want to eat, which will allow you resting time, and maybe more or less cooking time.
Let your turkey rest. If you take it out of the oven and carve it, all the juices will come streaming out. Wait 20 to 30 minutes before you start carving.
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