Boiled turkey is a diet food, as it contains a lot of protein and low fat. This meat is recommended for children or people who monitor their health. Despite the fact that it is part of many diets of clinical nutrition, a fairly large number of festive and ordinary dishes can be prepared from it.
Chemical composition
The composition of this meat contains a sufficient amount of useful components. Among them, the amino acid tryptophan is especially distinguished, which contributes to a good mood and helps to cope with depression. In addition, B vitamins make this meat indispensable for diseases of the nervous system and digestive organs. It is advisable for people with impaired reproductive organs to regularly eat boiled turkey, as it contains such important trace elements as zinc and selenium. For example, from one serving of one hundred and fifty grams of meat of this bird, you can get the daily rate of selenium.
Overweight people can safely eat boiled turkey, as it is not only low-calorie, but also has the ability to improve the digestive process, thereby cleansing the stomach and intestines from toxins and feces. With its help, its metabolism improves, because of which the stomach is tightened, and the waist becomes thinner.
The energy value
One hundred grams of finished turkey contains only eighty-four kilocalories. And this despite the fact that the amount of protein in it is quite large and amounts to a little more than nineteen grams. There is very little fat (within one gram). Thus, this product can be considered ideal food for those who want to lose weight, since the calorie content of boiled turkey is quite small.
Turkey harm
Doctors warn that too much protein harms people with kidney problems. In addition, patients suffering from chronic joint disease, which form salt deposits, also run the risk of worsening their health. In a word, one should not go to extremes and eat too much turkey meat. Even a healthy person will not benefit from such nutrition.
How to choose
In stores you can find both frozen and chilled meat of this bird. You can determine the freshness of the pink color and dense texture. In no case should the meat disintegrate into fibers or leave deep imprints when pressed. It is highly recommended not to purchase a product with existing damage in the form of any incisions, blood streaks or obscure pits.
Storage rules
If the meat is packed in a film, then it is usually stored for up to five days. On the packaging, as a rule, the final date of use of the product is indicated, after which it is extremely undesirable to use it. If the turkey was bought without packaging, it is recommended to immediately cook it or send it to the freezer, where it will be stored for a long time.
What can I cook
Turkey can be roasted, stewed, baked or boiled. Moreover, the preparation of this meat for children and adults will be slightly different. For example, in order to cook a small piece for a child, you need purified water, filet, thigh or drumstick without skin. The meat is placed in cold water and cooked for half an hour. Next, the broth is completely drained and poured with pure water. After which the pan is kept on the stove for another sixty minutes.
Cooked meat
Cooking a turkey usually takes at least two hours, but it all depends on the thickness of the meat. For example, a whole carcass will cook for at least three hours, while small pieces can be cooked for forty-five minutes. As for stewing in a pressure cooker, this method is considered the most optimal, as it can significantly reduce the time. Usually the timer is set for forty minutes in the "Cooking" mode.
Basic Rules
In order to make the dish as tasty and healthy as possible, some rules should be taken into account.
- The meat must be cut across the fibers. Such rules apply to all types of this product. Otherwise, you can get an extremely tough dish that just will be unpleasant to eat.
- In order to cook a turkey, it is placed in cold water. However, in some cases, it can be omitted in steep boiling water.
- It is recommended that before starting work remove fatty areas on the surface of the carcass. Similarly, the skin is removed. If the turkey is cooked for aspic, then it is advisable to leave the fat.
- In the event that soup is being prepared, the meat should be laid exclusively in cold and clean water.
As for salt, this meat can be salted both at the end of cooking and at the very beginning. However, it should be borne in mind that salt interferes with the transition of vitamins and minerals to the liquid. Therefore, if the soup is cooked, then it is advisable to salt it at the end, before turning off the pan.
Soup cooking
When preparing the first dish of turkey, you should also adhere to the following recommendations:
- The carcass should be completely in the water and be covered with it. It is allowed to add boiling water already during the cooking process.
- If foam forms, it must be removed. Otherwise, the broth will turn cloudy.
- Sometimes the water immediately after boiling is drained and poured fresh. Many people consider this method of preparation to be the most convenient, since with it you can not worry about the foam that forms on the surface of the broth.
- Very often a small head of onion is added to the broth. Thus, the liquid is aromatic and tastes good. The onion is subsequently removed.
- The meat, before being lowered into water, is carefully examined and washed under running water.
- After the end of cooking, the broth is not turned off, but give it the opportunity to infuse for some time.
- As a rule, at the beginning of cooking, the pan is turned on at full power and only then reduce the heat.
How much is the turkey cooked for soup? Usually the whole process takes no more than one hour. Sometimes it can drag on for up to an hour and a half. You can determine the finished product by piercing it with a knife. The color of cooked poultry should be as light as possible. It is quite elastic and slightly fibrous. A pink hue indicates a lack of readiness for the piece.
What to cook
From boiled turkey you can cook a lot of dietary and children's dishes. For example, meatballs and steamed cutlets are very tasty. In addition, this meat can make an excellent casserole. It is prepared quite simply. First, mashed potatoes or pumpkins. Next, boiled turkey meat is passed through a meat grinder, slightly salted and pepper. A layer of vegetable puree, a layer of chopped turkey and again a layer of vegetable puree are laid in a special form. The casserole dish is sent to the oven. Top dish can be greased with sour cream.
In addition, boiled turkey breast can be cut into a salad of fresh vegetables with mayonnaise. It turns out very delicious diet soup from this meat. After the broth is cooked, the turkey is taken out, and finely chopped potatoes, carrots and onions are added to the liquid. When the vegetables are ready, add two tablespoons of semolina, salt, bay leaf and peas. The turkey is cut into small slices and again sent to the soup. At the end of cooking, add dry or fresh herbs.