How to cook a turkey, many housewives who are preparing a festive table are interested. For many years it was one of the most popular dishes in Western countries, especially in the USA. Recently, it is gaining popularity in Russia. It is very important to prepare and serve it in a special way, because the mood of the whole holiday will depend on this. After all, a turkey, as a rule, is prepared as the main decoration of the festive table.
Cooking turkey tradition
Cooking historians have argued that women have been interested in cooking turkey for millennia. This is one of the most popular dishes for the festive table along with roast beef and pork. The tradition dates back to the time of the pagan rites of sacrifice.
In many aristocratic families they preferred to cook a bird for the holiday. But it was not a chicken, like the poor, but a turkey or even a pheasant, partridge or swan. Today, turkey, goose and duck remain popular, except for chicken, the rest of the birds are very rarely cooked.
Now in our country, in shops and markets, you can find a variety of turkey carcasses weighing from one to five kilograms.
Marinated turkey
Since it is very difficult to cook a turkey, it is better to carefully study the experience of culinary specialists. For example, the recipes given in this article. More recently, it has become popular to pickle turkey before cooking.
It is believed that the culinary process was inspired by the process used in the production of kosher products. All blood needs to be removed, so it is thoroughly soaked in water. It is noted that it is kosher turkeys that are obtained more tender and juicier than ordinary ones.
In this process, it is very important to prepare the right and effective marinade, then you will definitely learn how to cook a turkey deliciously. For a turkey marinade weighing about four to five kilograms, you should take:
- six liters of water;
- 125 grams of salt;
- three tablespoons of black pepper;
- one stick of cinnamon (it should be broken into several parts);
- one tablespoon of cumin seeds;
- two dozen clove seeds;
- 90 grams of sugar;
- two onions, chopped into large slices;
- four large cloves of garlic, passed through a press;
- grated ginger root (about six centimeters long);
- one orange (cut it into slices with a peel, and squeeze the juice into the marinade, throw the slices there yourself);
- three celery stalks (they are cut across into several parts).
Turkey should be soaked whole in the marinade for three to four days. The greater the weight of the bird, the longer it should lie in the mixture. All this time the bird needs to be in a cool room, you can even put it in the refrigerator. If you pickle turkey breasts, it is best to use a sleeve. The main thing - do not pay attention to the fact that there are a lot of components in this composition. If you don’t have one or two components at hand, it’s okay, the marinade will still be saturated. Let it brew in saline.
Having taken the turkey from the refrigerator or cool room, wait until it reaches room temperature, only after that rinse the bird in cool water, drying it with paper towels. Now it can be baked on a baking sheet. Many do not use extra fat, spices, or special sleeve bags for this, but simply put a little rosemary and sage. The bird itself can be greased with vegetable oil so that its skin is browned.
Cooking turkey drumstick
Turkey shin in lemon-soya marinade is very popular among meat lovers. To prepare this delicious and nutritious dish, take:
- two turkey legs;
- four tablespoons of soy sauce;
- one lemon;
- four tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- one teaspoon of ground black pepper.
Now we will tell you in detail how to cook turkey drumstick. Previously, it is recommended to marinate it in soy sauce mixed with juice squeezed from lemon, as well as black pepper and sunflower oil. Please note that if you prefer a sharper bird, you can increase the number of spices by adding your favorite ones. For example, red hot pepper is suitable.
Two turkey legs, as a rule, weigh about one and a half kilograms. They must spend at least 30 minutes in the marinade. In general, the more the better. Turn the tibia periodically so that it is evenly marinated.
Then put the meat on the foil, wrap the bird in it. Pinch the edges, creating a shape with sides, into which we pour the marinade. Only after that we close the envelope and put it in the oven. The meat should be baked at a temperature of 200 degrees for two hours. Now you know how to cook turkey drumstick. Rice, which can be poured with the remaining broth, will be appropriate for the side dish.
Turkey thighs
To learn how to cook a turkey thigh, you need to study a special recipe. For example, you can bake turkey thighs in foil. To do this, you will need:
- 1.5 kilograms of hips;
- half of the bulb;
- 5 grams of caraway seeds;
- rosemary and olive oil are added to taste.
Do you remember how to cook a turkey deliciously? To do this, you need a marinade. For marinade on the hips, take:
- half an onion;
- three tablespoons of olive oil;
- two cloves of garlic;
- two teaspoons of Dijon mustard;
- one teaspoon of salt;
- paprika, zira, black and red pepper - to taste.
Discover the secret of how to cook a turkey thigh. Wash and dry the turkey leg thoroughly. Cut the onion into slices.
Put all the marinade components in a blender and mix until smooth. This mass rub the thigh, trying to get it under the skin.
Take twice the folded foil, onto which pour a little olive oil, put the chopped onion there, and on top - the turkey itself. On the sides of the dish you can decorate with sprigs of rosemary and thyme, and then wrap the turkey in foil.
We put it in the oven on a baking sheet at a temperature of 200 degrees. We cook for about an hour and a half, periodically pouring the juice that stands out.
Checking turkey preparedness is very simple. To do this, it is enough to pierce the meat with a knife in the thickest part. Juice that begins to stand out must be clear.
About 40 minutes before ready, open the foil so that a crispy crust forms on the bird. Here is one of the best ways to cook a turkey quickly and tasty.
Turkey fillet
From this article you will learn what to cook from turkey quickly and tasty. One of the fun recipes is turkey fillet stewed with sour cream. For this recipe, take:
- one kilogram of turkey;
- two tablespoons of sour cream with a fat content of at least 10%;
- two tablespoons of sauce;
- one onion;
- three cloves of garlic;
- salt, pepper - to taste.
Gently cut the turkey fillet into small slices and simmer in a skillet for a quarter of an hour. Add chopped onions to the fillet, continuing to simmer another five minutes, until it becomes soft enough. Cut the garlic as finely as possible and also add to the pan with meat and onions.
The final touch is sour cream and spices. It can be salt, pepper, soy sauce. Mix everything thoroughly, add boiled water, this is necessary so that the sauce turns out to be sufficiently liquid, continue to simmer another ten minutes until completely thickened.
This is the best recipe when you are tormented by what to cook from turkey fillet quickly. Absolutely any side dish is suitable for the dish.
Option with oven
If you have enough time that you can devote to cooking, then it will be useful to learn how to cook turkey fillet in the oven.
To do this, take:
- one kilogram of turkey meat;
- 50 ml of lemon juice;
- salt and pepper - to taste;
- three cloves of garlic;
- 50 grams of soy sauce.
To begin with, wash the meat well and thoroughly, since cooking turkey meat without observing this condition will not work.
Make marinade in parallel. To do this, mix soy sauce and spices. You can expand their list, focusing solely on your own taste. Add finely chopped garlic and lemon juice to the marinade.
Now put the meat in a deep container and fill it with marinade. Leave it to lie down in this form for at least a few hours. From time to time it is recommended to turn the turkey so that it is well marinated on all sides.
Now put the meat in a sleeve and send it to a preheated oven. The temperature should be around 200 degrees. Fillet should be baked for about forty minutes. Now from this article you have learned how to cook a turkey tasty and unusual.
Turkey breast
There is another popular option that cook from turkey quickly and tasty. This is the breast of a bird. It should be remembered that chicken and turkey breasts are significantly different from each other, therefore, when cooking, you must adhere to certain rules.
One of the main points is that the breast must be in the maximum amount of fluid. By the way, there are several ways to cook a turkey breast. This can be done in a slow cooker or oven.
Naturally, cooking in a slow cooker is easiest. You just need to make sure that the piece is sufficiently moistened, then it will turn out to be deliciously guaranteed. Put a jar of your favorite broth and vegetables in the multicooker bowl, season with pepper and salt. Set the timer to a low temperature and two to three hours.
If you are concerned about how to cook turkey meat in the oven, be sure to season it with broth periodically, and to keep moisture, it is recommended to cover the baking dish or pan with a regular lid. Cooking is best also at low temperature. So you will achieve maximum juiciness and tenderness of the dish.
Also, before you send the turkey breast to the oven, marinate it for several hours. Ideally, get a special cooking thermometer to measure the temperature inside the product. For turkey breast optimal indicators are 160-165 degrees. If the temperature rises to 170, then the meat will become dry and hard. To measure the temperature of the meat, insert the tip of the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. Best if you manage to pierce it through.
Minced turkey
In stores today you can find on sale minced poultry, which is dedicated to our article. If you are wondering what to cook from minced turkey, then the answer to it will be found in this material.
There are many original recipes, such as meatballs in tomato sauce. For six servings, take:
- one slice of white bread;
- 50 ml of milk;
- a pound of ground turkey;
- a bunch of fresh parsley;
- 200 g of frozen spinach;
- a quarter cup of olive oil;
- one onion;
- two cloves of garlic;
- one carrot;
- 300 grams of tomato sauce;
- pepper and salt to taste.
So, thoroughly soak a piece of bread in milk, mix minced meat with it. Add chopped parsley and previously thawed spinach to the same mixture. Salt and pepper. Shape small and neat meatballs.
Chefs are advised to fry in olive oil for three minutes on each side. After that, remove them from the pan and leave to cool. Fry garlic and onions in the remaining oil. Add the diced carrots. When the onion is browned, pour in the tomato sauce, let it boil and begin to simmer the meatballs for a quarter hour.
It is recommended to serve this dish with rice or pasta on the table.
Lazy cabbage rolls
You will be surprised, but even lazy cabbage rolls can be cooked from minced turkey. To do this, you need:
- a pound of minced meat;
- one kilogram of cabbage;
- one carrot;
- 100 grams of round grain rice (you can take rice in a bag);
- one onion;
- one chicken egg;
- two tablespoons of tomato paste (it can be replaced with ketchup);
- 300 grams of sour cream;
- 70 grams of hard cheese.
Stuffing minced meat with rice, adding carrots, grated, as well as lightly boiled cabbage and a little onion. If desired, cabbage can be chopped on a food processor.
Mix this mixture thoroughly by adding egg and spices. After forming small patties, lay them on a baking sheet. Top them with a mixture of garlic and grated cheese.
Mix sour cream with tomato paste, put one spoon of this mass on each of the cutlets. Put the dish in the oven for 25 minutes.
Turkey liver
In this article you will find a recipe for how to cook turkey liver. Classic recipe with onion and sour cream.
For 700 grams of liver you will need:
- three onions;
- three tablespoons of sour cream;
- salt and other spices to taste;
- vegetable oil (it will be required for frying).
Finely chop the onion and fry a little in a pan. Rinse the liver with running water and cut into small pieces. By the way, doing this is very convenient. In the liver of the turkey there are no veins and films that have to be additionally removed. As soon as the onion in the pan starts to turn yellow, we send the liver to it. We fry over high heat for about ten minutes, so that a characteristic crust appears.
After that, we reduce the fire so that it is cooked to the end. Next, add spices, salt and sour cream. Stew for another five minutes until fully cooked and serve.