Extreme cooking Tips: A Thanksgiving turkey - for the novice :)

Every year Minnetonkascenes receives thousands* of e-mails on the proper method to cook a turkey for the holidays. Here are a few tips to ensure success.


1. Install a brand new First Alert® Smoke alarm just above the stove. This will reassure your guests and also function as your default “timer”.

2. Thawing the turkey: An unnecessary step. Many chefs will recommend that you to place your frozen bird in the refrigerator for 3 days allowing it to gently thaw and not damage the flesh. Ignore this goody-2-drumsticks advice. YOU will be cooking this bird at 500 degrees, and believe me, it will thaw.

3. Remove the plastic mesh and polypropylene wrap from the turkey before cooking. This is a necessary step. Many yute think that the turkeys actually wear this webbing on the farm and so leaving it on makes for a naturally prepared bird. Not so! This plastic covering has been added by the manufacturer so they do not have to print their logo directly onto the bird. It should be remove just before cooking. Do not omit this step!

4. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity, they have been hidden there long enough: This is an optional step. Leaving the paper wrapped neck. liver, and gizzard in the cavity may provide structural support and flavor during the cooking process.

5. Basting the bird. Turkeys are naturally quite moist since they spend a good deal of their lives standing in the rain with their mouths open. This makes for a very moist and tender bird. The manufacturer also injects the turkey with extra liquids to insure maximum body weight and juiciosity. Water, salt and fluoride usually comprise this mixture. The addition of fluoride has been suggested by the FDHA, since most people drink bottled water and are short on this vital ingredient.

6. Finally: Presentation: Serve on a large platter with parsley,canned yams and “goblets” of Ocean Spray Cranberry juice.

* Actually none.