SASKATOON – The Thanksgiving weekend is here and many family chefs will be striving for that glorious, bronzed turkey.
There are some cooking tips that will help get you there but researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) are finding the key to a succulent bird is all about rest.
U of S Professor of Animal and Poultry Science Henry Classen says they’ve been studying how exposure to daylight affects the welfare of barnyard birds, including turkeys.
“Historically people thought that if yours had more or less continuous light it would give them lots of opportunity to eat and drink and that would be better for performance but we know that in fact that isn’t the case, those birds don’t even grow the fastest,” said Classen.
“Just like you and I when we sleep we’ll go through different phases of sleep, well birds have to do the same thing and they can only really do that when they have a little bit more extended periods of darkness,” he added.
The conclusion, a well-rested bird means a better quality of meat.
When it comes to the kitchen, how do cooks ensure they maintain that succulent goodness right through to the dinner table?
Chef and cooking teacher Simon Reynolds showed Global News how it’s done.
“Moist is the thing with turkey everyone’s about trying to get moist turkey,” he said while stuffing a 10 lb turkey with an onion, carrot, celery, fresh thyme and sage.
“This is going to add lots of flavor, so this is going to help the gravy at the end too,” said Reynolds.
He makes what’s called a “trivet” in the baking dish with vegetables to keep the bird off the base, allowing more heat movement for a more evenly cooked turkey.
“Then we’re going to take some oil and the oil actually helps the skin crisp,” he said rubbing oil all over the bird.
He then covered the turkey with parchment paper and tin foil before putting it in the oven.
“Turkeys like long and slow so if you cook anything, even chicken, you want to kind of do it long and slow, a fresh one you’re looking at 12 to 15minutes per pound,” said Reynolds.
The foil and paper comes off with around 30 minutes of cooking time left.
Once it’s done, Simon recommends letting the turkey sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
“If you don’t rest it basically what’s going to happen is when you cut into it, you’re going to lose all the juice and lose the flavour,” he said.
And then all that’s left to do is dish up, eat up and rest.
For a step by step guide to cooking turkey visit Simon’s Facebook page.
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