by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: February 07, 2009   Last Updated: February 09, 2009

The process of cooking the perfect juicy turkey does not start in the kitchen. It starts in the supermarket or wherever it may be that we intend purchasing our bird. Many of us when going to purchase a turkey will consider chiefly - or perhaps only - the size of turkey which we require but there are other, just as important considerations which we have to take in to account if we want to get the process right.

We want to buy the best quality turkey that we can possibly afford. By that, I mean one which is free range and organic. This means that the bird has been allowed to wander freely round some sort of compound in life, firming up its muscles and its flesh as it does so, and that it has only been fed on natural foodstuffs and not such as chemical growth enhancers. Yes, such turkeys are more expensive than any of the budget varieties but especially as the turkey is likely to be for some form of special occasion, isn't it worth forking out that little bit extra for the very best available to us?

If we are buying our turkey frozen, pay attention to the thawing times required on the labelling. This is very important as we do not want to be cooking the bird semi-frozen. Even if you buy it fresh and store it in the refrigerator, take it out the night before and cover it with such as aluminium foil to allow it to reach room temperature prior to going in to the oven.

Make sure also that you have the precise cooking time calculated at this stage and you allow plenty of time for this process. Packaged birds should have this information on the label or ask your butcher for advice when purchasing.

We then have to decide whether we are going to stuff the bird, and if so, with what.

One option is to use some form of conventional stuffing such as chestnut or sage and onion. If we are going for this type of stuffing, remember only to stuff the neck cavity and never the main cavity of the bird. If we stuff the main cavity, harmful bacteria can be transferred in to the stuffing before the bird reaches full cooking temperature. Also, ensure that your stuffing has cooled to room temperature prior to putting it in to the turkey.

Another alternative is to cook the stuffing separately and stuff the bird with such as one onion (halved), half a lemon, half an orange and a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme. I prefer this option as it infuses the turkey with a wonderful array of flavours and eliminates all risk associated with the stuffing.

Sit the turkey, stuffed if applicable, in a roasting tin and baste it well with olive oil. Use your hands to rub it all over the exposed flesh. This is a bit messy but is another way of ensuring we achieve perfect results. Cover the tray loosely with aluminium foil to help prevent the breast from drying out. Start it off at around 400F/200C for the first half of the cooking time and reduce to around 350F/180C for the second.

Begin basting the turkey when it has reached the half way mark in its cooking time. This should subsequently be done every fifteen to twenty minutes.

When the cooking time is up, remove the tray from the oven and insert a metal skewer in to the thickest part of the turkey's thigh. Remove the skewer and use it to press down over the hole you have just made and cause the juices to run out. They should be completely clear. If there is any trace whatsoever of either red or pink in the juices, return the turkey to the oven for another thirty minutes and perform the test again.

Never contemplate serving turkey in any way under-cooked.

By performing these steps in the right order and at the right time, we should serve to our family and/or our guests, the absolutely perfect juicy turkey.

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