Time to talk Turkey – you need to be thinking about it NOW!
Cooking your turkey to the correct temperature is essential to avoid food poisoning. An internal temperature of 73C is a minimum, but try not to go too far over that as the taste deteriorates.
Cooking turkeys that are still frozen is a recipe for disaster. Instead of cooking your bird you will just be breeding bacteria at a nice cosy temperature.
If your turkey is frozen you will need 24 hours per 5lb/2.5Kg in the fridge to defrost. Place the bird in the bottom of the fridge in a pan to collect any juices. Make sure that the juices do not contaminate any other food. Especially ready food like meat and desserts.
Alternatively, if your bird is big & time is short, defrost in COLD water. Place the bird in a sealable bag to stop it becoming waterlogged & spoiling the texture. Allow 2.5 hours per 5 lb/2.5 Kg but change the water every 30 mins.
Finally, leave your turkey outside of the fridge in a cool room, away from any pets, for 8 hours before cooking. This goes for the stuffing as well. This means that the turkey will start to come up to temperature from the moment it goes inside a pre-warmed oven.
If you are buying a frozen turkey on Christmas Eve you are best saving it for New Year.
The other benefit of removing the turkey from the fridge is that you now have more space to store pre-prepared food the night before.
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