The tradition of preparing for the holiday hot dishes of turkey appeared many centuries ago and it originates from pagan sacrifices. At the same time, most often the whole bird is baked. Dishes from turkey fillet in the oven are more casual.
Turkey in the oven: a traditional recipe
So, put the turkey on a cutting board. Make deep cuts over the entire surface and place the halves of garlic heads in them. Spread the turkey with olive oil and your favorite spices (adjika or whole grain mustard, for example).
Cover the coated bird with rosemary, sage and any other herbs that you like. It is necessary to coat the turkey not only from the outside, but also from the inside. Inside the bird, you can put lemons, cut into four parts, apples or oranges.
Place the turkey in a heatproof dish so that the breast is on top. Wrap the dish with bird foil and send it to the refrigerator at least for the night. Take out the turkey the next morning and leave it on the table for a couple of hours.
Pickling poultry
The turkey in the oven begins to cook , the recipe for which has gained popularity not so long ago, with pickling meat.
Soak a whole turkey in the composition, the recipe of which is given below for at least three days. All this time the meat must be kept in the refrigerator or in a room with a low temperature.
Ingredients:
- 6 liters of water;
- 125 grams of salt;
- 3 tablespoons peppercorns;
- cinnamon stick (you need to break it into several parts);
- a tablespoon of caraway seeds;
- a pair of clove sticks;
- two tablespoons of spices;
- two tablespoons of mustard;
- 120 grams of sugar;
- two onions (you need to cut them into several parts along);
- 4 crushed cloves of garlic;
- powder from ginger root;
- orange (peel does not need to be removed);
- 4 tablespoons of honey;
- chopped cilantro or parsley.
Cooking:
In the morning, on the day when, according to the plan, you should start cooking the turkey in the oven, the recipe of which you have now learned, remove it from the marinade. Then rinse with cold water and wipe dry with towels on the outside and inside.
Proceed to bake the bird as described above. Leave the prepared bird for a couple of hours in the kitchen. So she will go in front of the oven to room temperature.
Bake turkey in the oven
Put the prepared turkey on a refractory dish, then put in the oven and bake for half an hour at a temperature of 250 degrees. During this time, the sides and top of the bird should brown. Then cover the top with foil and continue to bake the turkey until cooked, do not forget to periodically water it with the juices and fats that are collected at the bottom of the pan.
There is a standard time for baking in the oven of an idea - an hour per kilogram of weight. Remember that in the last 30 minutes it is necessary to remove the foil in order for the bird to brown.
If you decide to bake a side dish in addition to turkey, then add it only 40 minutes before the time of complete preparation of the bird.
There are conflicting tips on how best to bake a turkey: upside down with your breast or legs. It follows from our experience that a better bird will turn out if you put it down with your breast. So the juices that accumulate at the bottom will make it juicier and more tender.
In order to make sure that the turkey in the oven, the recipe of which you just read, is completely ready, it is necessary to pierce it with a wooden stick in the widest place of the breast. The juice that spills out must be clear and clean. And, of course, do not contain blood.
When the bird is completely ready, remove it from the oven and leave it to “rest” for about 20 minutes in a warm place. Just pre-cover with foil and a towel.
Baked turkey is the main dish of any holiday table. Therefore, it must be served solemnly. Better on a beautiful big dish and last but not least. The hostess or the owner should cut the turkey into thin pieces, starting from the breast. And you need to do this just before serving.