How to Cook the Perfect Thanksgiving Meal

Whether you're cooking your first Thanksgiving or your fiftieth, these tips make Turkey Day easy.

Start on Time

Roasting a turkey takes time. You need to account for the turkey coming to room temperature before cooking, as well as cooking and resting times. A 12-pound turkey could take 4-5 hours to go from the refrigerator to the table. Plan accordingly.

Room Temperture Is Best

To bring your kosher turkey to room temperature, take your fresh or fully thawed frozen turkey out of the refrigerator. Then take your turkey out of its package, rinse it inside and out, dry it thoroughly and place it on a platter covered by a dry cloth or paper towel. It will probably take at least 2 hours for your turkey to come to temperature. The turkey should be kept in a draft-free location away from the stove or other heat sources. You want air to circulate as the turkey comes to room temperature, so don't wrap your turkey in plastic wrap or aluminum foil at this time.

Stuffing

Stuffing adds flavor and moisture, but stuffed turkeys take longer to cook. If you prefer stuffing your turkey, do it right before roasting. Make sure that your stuffing is at room temperature or colder—never stuff a turkey with warm stuffing. Never stuff a turkey the night before. Bacteria from the raw turkey will infect the stuffing and cooking may not kill all the bacteria in the stuffing.

Use the Right Pan

Use a shallow roasting pan with a rack and do not put any liquid or vegetables in the bottom of the pan. The rack increases air circulation, which helps the bottom of the turkey cook evenly. Adding liquid or vegetables to the pan will create steam and the skin on the bottom of the turkey will not get crispy.

Start High, Finish Low

There are as many turkey roasting preferences as there are cooks. Some folks like roasting their turkeys at very high heat for a short time, and others feel that constant low heat is the only proper technique. We suggest a compromise. Start your turkey at 425 degrees F for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. The high heat will crisp up the skin and the low heat will cook the turkey through without drying it out or burning it.

Tent

The white and dark meat portions cook at different rates. Tenting the breast with a small piece of aluminum foil will slow its cooking time and keep the skin from burning while the legs cook through.

Baste

Baste your turkey with pan juices or some stock every 30 minutes. This adds moisture and helps brown and crisp the skin.

Test

To make sure that your turkey is done, insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. When the thermometer reads 165 degrees F, your turkey is ready to come out of the oven. If you stuffed your turkey, make sure the stuffing has also reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Rest

Your turkey should rest, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for at least 20 minutes before carving. Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. The internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise during the resting period. Do not use forks or anything that will pierce the meat to remove the turkey from the pan before it has rested. Piercing or cutting the meat before it has rested will cause the juices to spray out, leaving the meat dry and potentially burning you.

Carve

A sharp, slightly flexible carving knife or an electric knife makes cutting up your turkey easy. To carve, start by removing the leg and thigh. Separate the thigh from the leg and slice the meat off the thigh. Remove the breast by cutting down using the breast bone as a guide. Once removed, slice the breast horizontally against the grain of the meat. Place the carved meat on a warm serving platter. Repeat the steps for the other half of the turkey.

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