Putting away the Halloween decorations put me face-to-face with the dusty box marked THANKSGIVING and it made me a little dizzy. Days, weeks and seasons seem to go much too quickly making my head spin, so I woozily made my way down the ladder (safety first!) to start my planning lists for Turkey Day in order to really be prepared this year. Planning dinner for my extended family is a bit like going into battle, so I figure it’s a good idea to begin prep early like any other Kitchen General for the big day.
First item: turkey. Somehow, the rest of the meal isn’t as intimidating to me as the bird is, so it is has to be at the very top of my list. But the more I stared at this lone item on the list, incapable of writing anything else down, I realized I was going to have to call in specialists to make this year’s meal memorable. Or, memorable for all the good reasons and not the usual ones (I’ll spare you the gory details of my cooking ER visits of yore).
While I have in the past asked well-meaning relatives, neighbors or anyone who will listen to me for turkey advice, this year I went to the top. Enter the best-of-the-best, Sir Actually, Madam… Mary Clingman, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line Director, with 25 years experience in Turkey Talk, this is the right woman for the job. Mary is the turkey expert that David Letterman, Rachel Ray and other media bigwigs (NBC, CNN, MSNBC, etc.) go to for answers.
For my T. Katz Facebook Fan Page, I decided to have a contest where folks post or email their “What I am Thankful for…” comments. Thanks to the wonderful folks at Butterball, this year three lucky winners are going to receive a Butterball Turkey Certificate on November 18th, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Knowing how I feel when I gear up (literally – there’s protective measures taken now) to make this annual dinner, I thought to myself, “I can’t send these people into the kitchen unprepared either.” So, for my blog readers and Facebook Fans, I am going to share the results of my (T) frantic line of turkey questions and Mary’s (M) calm, informative answers about what she assures me will be easy turkey preparation:
T: It never fails that if I invite a handful of relatives to dinner, two handfuls show up. What size turkey do you recommend I purchase?
M: If you have 10 adults coming to your Thanksgiving dinner, you should purchase a 15 lb. turkey for generous servings and leftovers. Visit www.Butterball.com and use the turkey calculator to determine how much turkey to buy if you think your attendance is going to be higher or lower than 10.
T: A turkey calculator! That is a very useful tool, indeed. I notice that Butterball website also has generous serving recommendations (with room for leftovers) for other types of turkey, too.
M: Yes, for example, Butterball suggests 1½ lbs. per person when buying a fresh or frozen whole turkey, but there are also suggestions for smaller gatherings using breast of turkey (bone in or boneless) or turkey roast.
T: In browsing around www.Butterball.com I noticed another really helpful tool on that turkey calculator — the How Long to Thaw feature. What a great idea, so that no blowdryers will be harmed (or even necessary) in that sometimes confusing process of thawing a frozen turkey (a little information I could have used 19 years ago).
T: My mother always insisted that we get up at 4am to put the turkey in the oven, is that really necessary? Honestly, if I wanted to serve dinner between 3:00-4:00 pm couldn’t the sun and I get up at the same time?
M: General guidelines for cooking in a conventional oven at 325 degrees are as follows – a 10 to 18 lb. turkey (stuffed) should cook for approx. 3¾ to 4½ hours or 4 ½ to 5 hours for an 18 to 22 lb. turkey (check www.Butterball.com for more times and weight). We suggest starting to check for doneness a half-hour before these recommend end times for a picture-perfect turkey. You can visit the website for detailed cooking instructions and a roasting chart or call 1(800)BUTTERBALL.
T: To baste or not to baste? That is my question.
M: Basting is a personal preference, but you do not need to baste a Butterball turkey, because the turkey is already pre-basted primarily with a salt and water broth to ensure it is tender and juicy every time. Plus, the turkey’s skin is like a raincoat, as you baste your turkey the basting solution drips off the skin and into your drippings.
T: Is stuffing/dressing best cooked inside the turkey or is it better to have it in its own baking dish?
M: Stuffing is another person preference! You can bake the turkey with the stuffing inside or in a separate baking dish. Both options provide you with a delicious recipe, however stuffing your turkey will provide you with more room in the oven for other side dishes.
T: I really love having turkey between the major holidays for my little family of four. Do I have to cook a whole turkey or does Butterball offer alternatives to this dilemma?
M: You can enjoy Butterball turkey year round! Check out www.Butterball.com for a full list of products, but I recommend a bone in turkey breast for your family if you are looking for a smaller turkey.
T: After my company has gone and left me with a sink full of dishes and it is just me and the turkey left in the kitchen, how do I best store it to use at a later date (as opposed to revisiting Turkey ala <insert question mark> parts Duex, Three & Quatro all in one week?
M: The best way to ensure your leftovers are good for future meals is to follow the Two-Hour Rule. That is: store leftovers in separate containers within two hours after cooking and eat-to-freeze within three days.
T: That’s easy to remember, the 1-2-3 rule of turkey storage! Take one turkey, store it within two hours after cooking and freeze within three days.
M: That ensures you’ll be able to enjoy the tender and juicy turkey long after Thanksgiving!
T: My eclectic family members can never agree on what kind of stuffing/dressing was served when everyone was a child. Does Butterball offer recipes on-line that I can slip into my family recipe card file to call my own from this holiday forward?
M: Butterball offers lots of recipe options that are sure to please your family. Just visit www.Butterball.com for side dishes, desserts and more!
T: Preparing a Butterball turkey has always been pretty foolproof in my kitchen, but this year I am making my 17 year old daughter help with the process. If she runs into trouble in the kitchen, does Butterball provide on-line or phone-line help with turkey preparation on Thanksgiving? [Because I might make HER get up at 4 am to start the process, while I sleep in.]
M: Butterball has several ways to get help with the Thanksgiving turkey! Call 1(800)BUTTERBALL, visit www.Butterball.com, check us out on Facebook and Twitter and even sign up for turkey text messages with tips sent right to your cell phone.
T: What teenager wouldn’t love that, turkey assistance via cell phone!
Mary, you have been a tremendous help and I am so grateful to you for the advice and I know my readers will be thrilled with the information and the possibility of winning a Butterball turkey this Thanksgiving season! THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!