How-To-Prepare-and-Stuff-A-Turkey
December 11, 2012
•Emily Murray
•San Francisco
• 0 Comments
San Francisco: How To Prepare and Stuff A Turkey
Have you ever been in charge of preparing a turkey for a large dinner? If so, then you probably know one of the biggest fears is preparing a dry and tasteless turkey. You will be able to prepare a juicy and tender turkey by following a few tips. Believe it or not, even cooking school students struggle with perfect meat preparation techniques so you are not alone!
First, you will want to prepare a brine solution.
The solution should contain enough water for the turkey to soak in. The solution will contain a mixture of salt and brown sugar. The salt breaks down the muscle tissue and gives the turkey a wonderful flavor. You may need to soak the turkey overnight. You can use a container that will fit into your refrigerator or you can use a cooler that is kept outside as long as the outside temperature is cool enough. Before placing the turkey in the solution, remove the innards from inside the turkey. These are usually placed in a bag for easy removal. Place them inside the refrigerator. These can be used later to make gravy. This is just one of the many turkey preparation techniques that remain popular with students at culinary schools in San Francisco.
Next, it is time to remove the turkey from the brine solution.
Put the turkey in the sink where you can rinse it off. Pat the turkey dry with a paper towel. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Next, you will want to coat the turkey with butter or oil. You can use a brush to do this. The oil will help to brown the turkey evenly. To add extra flavor, lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on the outside and inside of the turkey.
Finally, you will want to stuff the turkey.
Prepare the stuffing. You can either use a boxed stuffing or prepare your own. Pack the stuffing inside the turkey. The turkey is now ready to bake. Place a lid on the roasting pan and place in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 3 hours. It is important to check the temperature of the turkey with a meat thermometer at the end of 3 hours to ensure it has been cooked properly. Your turkey should turn a golden brown. Once the turkey is done baking, let it set for 20 minutes to allow the meat to set up. If you carve the turkey as soon as you pull it from the oven, all the juices will flow out of it. This will leave the meat dry and it will lose some of its flavor.
Once the meat has had a chance to cool, begin carving the turkey.
You will notice that the meat looks juicy and tender. Everyone will love your turkey and may request that you prepare the turkey every year! With just a little preparation and a few extra steps, the turkey you prepare will be the highlight of the entire dinner and will make everyone think you have been taking cooking classes at your local cooking school! Along that same train of thought, if you do enjoy learning new techniques and cooking methods you may want to enroll in a class or two at one of the many culinary schools in San Francisco.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in San Francisco. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in San Francisco offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/San-Francisco for more information.
Find disclosures on graduation rates, student financial obligations and more at www.chefs.edu/disclosures. Le Cordon Bleu® and the Le Cordon Bleu logo are registered trademarks of Career Education Corporation. Le Cordon Bleu cannot guarantee employment or salary. Credits earned are unlikely to transfer.