Last year I kept a Google spreadsheet with the important Thanksgiving menu components, and notes for each: when to prep in advance, where I found the perfect-sounding recipe, recommendations for wine. If this sounds a little neurotic, consider The Great Thanksgiving Revolt that will ensue when you forget the pie.
Reviewing my orderly list and the number of questions I had about Turkey alone, I thought some Thanksgiving tips could be helpful. So I present to you:
Turkey FAQ!
How much turkey do I need?
One pound per person is standard. But you may want to 'size-up' for extra leftovers, and you may need to if you have a very small crowd like me (a 6 pound turkey? I might as well get a chicken). So I'm planning for a 10-12 pound turkey. Perhaps excessive, but this is the nation's most enthusiastically glutinous holiday.
When to buy? When to defrost?
A 12-pound turkey is not a last-minute venture. Most from the supermarket are frozen, and you need 24 hours of defrosting for each 5 pounds of bird. So my 12 pound turkey needs to defrost for two and a half days.
And remember food safety! Always defrost in the fridge to avoid that tepid-temperature danger zone. No one wants to be the chef in charge of the family's 2009 salmonella incident.
Defrost for three days?! Thanksgiving is tomorrow! How can I avoid serving birdsicle instead of beautiful golden roasted turkey?
You can defrost more quickly by putting the bird (still wrapped) in a giant pot of cold water in the sink, and changing the water every 30 minutes ... but is this how you want to spend your night before thanksgiving? No. Buy the turkey in advance, or find a fresh one (unfrozen).
Tom or Hen?
I do love gender topics, but in the case of thanksgiving turkeys gender only affects size. Toms (the man birds) are more than 16 pounds; hens are under 16 pounds. Feel free to discuss in the comments the oppression of these weight-obsessed lady birds.
Free range? Organic?
Will anyone notice the subtle difference in turkey flavor when their palates are coated with sweet potato and marshmallow? Probably not. I'm also generally skeptical of marketing that suggests a hen spent her days lounging around daisy-filled pastures, nibbling sweet grass and rose petals.
Nonetheless, the turkey is the centerpiece of the holiday and the rest of your meal components are pretty inexpensive. My family does not need a $60 turkey, but a little extra for something organic and/or free-range seems reasonable.
However, if you want something guaranteed juicy and thoroughly un-trendy, a salt-water-injected "brined" turkey from the supermarket bin may stay moist and plump. Or get the best of both worlds, and brine your own organic turkey.
How long to roast?
Roast at 325 degrees until a thermometer reads 170 degrees. Let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.
For an un-stuffed turkey over 10 pounds, roast about 15 minutes for each pound of turkey -- my 12-pound lady will need three hours. A smaller turkey should actually roast 20 minutes per pound. Also note that stuffing your turkey adds additional cooking time and presents food-safety risks in the form of bread crumbs steeped in raw bird blood. Mmmm.
What about my vegetarian loved-ones?
Make sure you have plenty of vegetarian sides, and no one will go hungry. If an otherwise meat-free recipe calls for beef or chicken stock, use vegetable. If only one family member will touch a tofurky, s/he can offer to bring one.
One more tip: Carve in the kitchen. Unless you're an expert at bird disassembly, keep the messy business of cutting up the carcass in the privacy of the kitchen. Present the evenly-sliced meat on a lovely platter, and no one will know you wrestled off the drumsticks with bare hands or dropped that wing on the floor.
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