Turkey ABCs

With Thanksgiving two weeks away it's time to talk turkey. Literally.Many people , even experienced home chefs, are flummoxed when it comes to this bird. Questions and fears abound. It's time to take it easy. Turkey is a simple bird to prepare and roast.

Melissa Clark gave a simple how to on turkey in a huge  article in today's New York Times Dining section. The best piece of advice that she gave: buy a smaller bird. Instead of wrestling with a twenty-five pounder, go for the twelve or thirteen pound turkey. Buy extra turkey pieces whether all light or all dark ,if you feel you don't have enough. Another good idea is dry brining the bird as opposed to wet brining. All this involves is just rubbing salt and pepper all over it. Also prepping it with just oil and not glancing in the  oven every half hours is also recommended. This makes for crispy skin that's as crunchy as a potato chip.

Ms. Clark also suggests spatchcocking the bird.This may sound complicated but all it is is removing the backbone before cooking.This gives for a  juicier bird with an even more golden skin. Any butcher can remove the bone for you, however it can be done at home using very sharp poultry shears. Spatchcocking allows the cook to spread the bird flat in the roasting pan and cook for a quicker time than one with a backbone.Another must is having a meat thermometer on the ready.The internal temperature must be 165 F .Also home cooks have to realize ,that unlike chicken, a roast  turkey will have pink spots. This is normal, the meat isn't raw as it would be in the other.

Cooking a Thanksgiving turkey shouldn't;t be daunting .It should be as easy as roasting chicken. Follow the above recommendations and it'll be fine. You'll have a glistening golden bird with an amazing flavor and , crispy , crackling skin.