Christmas dinner can be a minefield if you’re not sure what you’re doing.
There’s the general lack of oven space, the mind-boggling timings to juggle, the inevitable forgetting of a crucial element (where the hell are the pigs in blankets?).
But the biggest thing – both literally and metaphorically – is the turkey. Get this wrong and there will be hell to pay.
But it’s a big bird. How on earth do you get it perfectly cooked? Obviously, it needs to be cooked through so there’s no risk of any food poisoning, but not burnt or dried out… it’s a delicate science.
If you’ve been super prepared and had your turkey in the freezer for weeks – you need to start thinking about thawing that bad boy.
How long does it take to defrost a turkey?
It basically depends on the size of your bird.
The packaging should tell you how long it needs to defrost for, but if there aren’t any defrosting instructions, there are some guidelines that will help you workout how long it will take to thaw:
- In a fridge at 4C (39F), allow 10-12 hours per kilogram. But be aware that not all fridges will be set to this temperature.
- In a cool room (below 17.5C/64F), allow around three-four hours per kilogram, or longer if the room is particularly cold.
- At room temperature (about 20C/68F), allow approximately two hours per kilogram.
When your turkey is fully defrosted, put it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it – or cook it immediately.
How to tell when your turkey is cooked
Plan your cooking time in advance to make sure you get the bird in the oven early enough to cook it thoroughly. A large turkey can take several hours to cook through properly.
Three ways you can tell a turkey is cooked:
- The meat is steaming hot all the way through
- There is no pink meat when you cut into the thickest part of the bird
- The juices run clear when you pierce the turkey or press the thigh
If you’re using a temperature probe or food thermometer, ensure the thickest part of the bird (between the breast and the thigh) reaches at least 70C for two minutes.
Remember that if you cook your bird with the stuffing inside, you need to allow extra time for the stuffing and for the fact that it cooks more slowly. It’s actually safer to cook your stuffing in a separate roasting tin, so that the guidelines are more accurate.
Christmas dinner safety tips
- Always wash your hands with warm water and soap after touching raw poultry.
- Don’t wash your turkey before your cook it. Bacteria from raw poultry can splash onto worktops, dishes and other foods.
- Always clean your worktops, chopping boards, dishes and utensils with warm soapy water after they have touched raw poultry or meat.
- Never use the same chopping board for raw poultry or meat and ready-to-eat food without washing it thoroughly with warm soapy water first. You might want to keep a separate chopping board just for raw meat and poultry.
If you don’t have any cooking guidelines you can use these timings in an oven preheated to 180C (350F, gas mark 4) – but remember to check that it is thoroughly cooked:
- 45 minutes per kilogram, plus 20 minutes, for a turkey under 4.5kg
- 40 minutes per kilogram for a turkey that’s between 4.5kg and 6.5kg
- 35 minutes per kilogram for a turkey of more than 6.5kg
Cover the turkey with foil while it is in the oven, but take the foil off for the last 30 minutes so that the skin can go brown and crispy. To avoid the dreaded dry turkey syndrome, baste it every hour during cooking.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/23/thaw-cook-turkey-safely-without-giving-whole-family-food-poisoning-11951160/
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