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Our tips and timings for the perfect turkey
If you're worried about cooking the perfect Christmas turkey because you're afraid to get it wrong, don't be! We've put together a few of our top tips to help you sail through Christmas day and present your family and friends with a delicious turkey.
Tip 1: Make sure the turkey fits in the oven!
Now, this isn't a tip to be laughed at. It's always best to check that extra-large turkey you splashed out on will actually fit in the oven along with all the other delicious sides you've got planned. There would be nothing worse than realising you'd overestimated the size of your oven on Christmas morning - so just to be safe make sure to check it fits!
Tip 2: Make sure to use a deep roasting tin
Make sure you've got a roasting tin which is big enough for the turkey with room to spare and deep enough to catch all the cooking juices. A pan which is too small won't allow the heat to travel around the whole bird and a pan too shallow could end in a turkey juice disaster.
Tip 3: Weigh your turkey
Make sure you know how much your bird weighs, having the exact weight will ensure the cooking time is correct to prevent over or undercooking your turkey.
Tip 4: Pre-heat your oven
Always pre-heat your oven before cooking your turkey! We recommend preheating for a minimum of 20 minutes to ensure your oven is at the right temperature.
Tip 5: Let your turkey rest before cooking
We recommend taking your turkey out of the fridge an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature. This means less shrinkage when it goes into your hot oven.
Tip 6: Line your roasting tin with veggies!
We recommend placing a layer of onions and root vegetables in the bottom of the tray, this helps to raise the turkey (to help cook all over) and you can also use the vegetables to make a gravy once the turkey is cooked.
Tip 7: Use foil when cooking your turkey
When you first place the turkey in the oven we recommend covering loosely with foil and removing it an hour before the cooking time is up to nicely brown the turkey all over.
Tip 8: Leave to rest once cooked
Once your cooking time is up and you've checked the juices of the turkey run clear, carefully lift the turkey out of the tray and cover loosely with foil. Place on a board to rest, for turkeys between 4 - 6 kg rest for an hour and a half and for turkeys weighing 6 - 10 kgs rest for up to two hours.
As well as our top tips we've included a table to help you calculate how long to cook your turkey:
It's always best to double-check your turkey is cooked, the best way to do this is to pierce or press the skin of the turkey to release the juices. If the juices run clear then it's cooked, but if the juices are pink then it will need more cooking time.
We hope you have a fantastic festive period full of delicious, local food and hope your turkey cooking goes to plan!