Good Taste

Tasty Turkey Tips

Written by Marketplace

The colder the turkey is when it is placed in the oven, the longer it will take to roast.
The deeper the pan, the longer the turkey will take to roast.
Opening the oven while the turkey is roasting will create a loss of approximately 15 minutes of roasting time for each time the oven door is opened. Heat escapes and the oven must re-heat to continue the cooking process.
Preheat your oven for at least 1/2 hour prior to placing the turkey in the oven.
If the turkey is stuffed, roast if for an additional ½ hour.
If there are other dishes in the oven, the heat will distribute differently and the turkey may cook slower.

Use a sturdy bulb baster or basting brush – the thin plastic ones can melt if they come into contact with the roasting pan.
Remove your turkey from the oven and close the oven door while you baste. If you leave the oven door open, you will lose heat, and it takes the oven a long time to regenerate that heat, which increases your cooking time.
It helps to have an extra cup of rich turkey stock (or stock mixed with clarified butter) on hand specifically for basting.
Cover the entire surface of the turkey with the juices.
Time is of the essence as you do not want to disturb the cooking temperature, so baste quickly! A general rule of thumb is:
- Large birds such as turkey, duck, goose: baste every 30-45 minutes
- A whole pig on a spit: once every hour
- Chicken parts: every 15 to 20 minutes
- Barbecuing meat: every 15 minutes