- Make-Ahead
Turkey For The Holidays
- BY DEBORAH TAYLOR-HOUGH
Can you imagine a relaxed Thanksgiving
or Christmas dinner without needing to actually cook a turkey
on the big day? You'd be able to enjoy the festivities as much
as your friends and family!
Believe it or not, it's possible
to roast your turkey ahead of time and store the cooked meat
in the freezer to reheat and serve on the big day. If this sounds
a bit too much like eating leftovers, let me assure you that
by following these simple freezing and reheating instructions,
you'll have moist, delicious turkey -- and not one of your guests
will suspect you didn't spend the entire holiday slaving away
in the kitchen keeping watch over a hot oven.
Feel free to use your own favorite
turkey recipe if you prefer, and then follow the freezing/reheating
instructions at the end of this article (but I personally don't
think you'll find a tastier turkey recipe!).
TO PREPARE TURKEY:
- 3 onions, quartered
- 6 celery stalks, cut into
2-inch pieces
- 2 medium carrots, cut into
2-inch pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 cups white wine (or
water)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 2 teaspoons sage
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 3 cups chicken broth, canned
(reserve for freezing process)
In bottom of a deep roasting
pan, place two quartered onions, four celery stalks, the carrots,
bay leaves and white wine (or water). Remove turkey giblets,
rinse bird inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. Stuff turkey
loosely with remaining quartered onion and celery stalks. Brush
turkey with olive oil mixed with salt, pepper, sage, and thyme.
Cover turkey loosely with a large sheet of foil coated lightly
with olive oil, crimping foil on to edges of roasting pan. Cook
according to chart below. During last 45 minutes, cut band of
skin or string between legs and tail. Uncover and continue roasting
until done. Baste, if desired.
Turkey Roasting Chart (loosely wrapped with foil):
12-16 pounds / 325 degrees F / 4 - 5 hours
16-20 pounds / 325 degrees F / 5 - 6 hours
20-24 pounds / 325 degrees F / 6 - 7 hours
Testing for doneness:
About 20 minutes before roasting
time is completed, test bird. Flesh on thickest part of drumstick
should feel soft when squeezed between fingers, drumstick should
move up an down easily, and meat thermometer inserted into thickest
part of leg should read 185 degrees F. (Or follow manufacturer's
instructions.)
- FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS
-
DRIPPINGS: Pour liquid and drippings from roasting
pan into a bowl. Remove vegetables. Allow bowl of liquid to cool
in refrigerator until fat congeals on top. Scoop off fat with
a spoon and pour drippings into a labeled freezer bag. Thaw to
use for making gravy on serving day.
TURKEY: Allow turkey to cool in pan for 1/2
hour; then place turkey and its roasting pan into refrigerator.
Allow to cool completely (several hours). When fully chilled,
slice turkey as usual. Remove all meat from bones. Place breast
and dark meat slices into labeled freezer bags. Pour canned chicken
broth into bags over meat. Freeze.
TO SERVE: Thaw bag of meat and broth, and place
into a covered baking dish for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Or
place turkey and broth into a microwave-safe dish, cover with
plastic wrap, and heat until hot (the time will vary with different
microwaves, so check manufacturer's instructions). Drain off
broth (reserve to make more gravy, if needed). Arrange the heated
turkey slices attractively on a serving platter. Serve hot.
**Excerpted and adapted from
the 10-Day Holiday Meal Plan in the bestselling book, 'Frozen
Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month' (Champion
Press).
Copyright 2002 Deborah Taylor-Hough
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
http://simplemom.com/
____________________________________
author:
Deborah Taylor-Hough (free-lance
writer, wife, and mother of three) is the author of 'Frozen Assets:
How to cook for a day and eat for a month' and the soon-to-be-released
'Frugal Living for Dummies(r)' (Wiley, Feb. '03)
For further ideas on simplifying life, subscribe to her free
e-newsletter. Mailto:subscribe-simple-times@ds.xc.org
Cooking ahead info: http://hometown.aol.com/oamcloop/
____________________________________
ARTICLE POSTED
NOVEMBER 19, 2002
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