Most of us only eat turkey once a year ― at Christmas.
The huge, lean bird took hundreds of years to earn top spot on our festive plates, but it’s remained a mainstay for decades now.
But here’s the crucial question; how can you tell when it’s done?
Cheshire West and Chester council warn: “The Christmas period means cooking food we don’t usually prepare such as whole turkeys, or large joints of meat.”
They add, “This unfamiliarity can lead to poor hygiene practices such as undercooked meat, overfilled fridges, and risk of cross-contamination.”
So, we thought we’d share a simple equation that’ll help you to know how long to put your turkey in for.
Waitrose shared that you can check the back of the turkey’s pack if you like, but as a general rule of thumb, “cook in a 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4) preheated oven for 30 minutes without foil, per kilo.”
However that changes according to whether you’re cooking a turkey crown, a stuffed or an unstuffed bird, and whether or not the meat still has bones in.
Thankfully food safety organisation Safefood offers a calculator that you can simply log your bird’s weight into if you like.
You can include details like your turkey’s stuffing status, cut, weight, and ideal serving time.
As an aside, the public body adds: “A fresh turkey needs to be cooked within two days of buying it, so bring it home as close to Christmas as possible.”
You can use a meat thermometer if you have one.
If your meat thermometer reaches 75°C the second you plunge it into the deepest part of the turkey’s thigh, or if the centre of the stuffing placed in its cavity gets the same reading immediately, you’re good to go.
But if you don’t have the tool, Safefood advises you should pierce the thickest part of the breast meat and check for the following three signs:
If you can definitely say “yes” to all the above, you’re likely safe.
Rest your turkey for a minimum of half an hour too after cooking, Safefood continues ― this makes the turkey tastier and more juicy.
