TIPS FOR THE PERFECT TURKEY DINNER

Love Christmas Day? Love to cook turkey? Wish your dinner could be like those you see on television cooking shows?

Follow my tips and you can have a turkey dinner you will be proud to serve your family or your guests.

Whether it is a small family gathering or a huge party, cooking the perfect turkey for the holidays is every chef's goal. Here are a few foolproof tips to cooking the perfect turkey!

Get The Right Equipment

The first step to the perfect bird is having all the right tools. You will need:

Heavy duty roasting pan

Rack to keep turkey from resting on the bottom of the pan

Foil to cover turkey

Basting brush to brush turkey with melted butter

Baster for basting with pan juices

Fine sieve for straining the pan juices for gravy

Wire whisk for making lump-free gravy

Good quality carving set

Meat thermometer

Follow These Simple Instructions:

A small, fresh turkey that weighs less than 14 pounds will usually be a more delicious bird. Large turkeys take longer to cook, which makes the outer meat overcook more easily. If you're feeding a large group, buy two small turkeys rather than one big one.

Brine the turkey. Salt draws out the blood, which cleanses the bird and breaks down the meat. This step is especially important if you purchase a frozen turkey, as it greatly improves the flavor. The steps to brining a turkey can be found on Butterball's official website here: how to brine a turkey.

Cook the stuffing in the oven, not inside the turkey. A stuffed bird takes longer to cook and dries out the meat.

When carving the turkey, remove the wings and legs first. Remove each breast half from the bone in one piece, and thinly slice each half crosswise. Cut each leg at the joint, and then carve the meat from the thigh and drumstick.

These simple tips can help you make the star of your holiday meal-the turkey-taste fantastic, and will have your friends and family talking about it for the rest of the year!

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