Celebrate Thanksgiving with recipes, menus, how-to videos and turkey help from Every Day with Rachael Ray.
What's the deal with all the different kinds of birds? Turkey is turkey, right?
Not quite. Here's a quick overview, but you can always ask your store's butcher for more.
- Natural: No artificial ingredients or preservatives. Upside: Tastes more "turkeylike" than other turkeys. Downside: Usually less moist and tender than other types.
- Basted or Self-Basting: Injected with a brothy solution to add moisture and taste. Upside: Juicy and flavorful. No need to brine. Downside: May contain additives and artificial flavors.
- Kosher: Hand-salted, rinsed and double-inspected under rabbinical supervision. Upside: Well-seasoned and hand-processed birds. Downside: Only available frozen in many markets. A few feathers usually left to be plucked.
- Heritage: The kind of turkey your grandparents ate: specially bred and raised. Upside: Richer, depper, fuller flavor than commercial turkeys. Dark-meat-lovers' dream. Downside: Expensive and in limited supply.
How much turkey do I buy?
Buy 1 pound of uncooked turkey per person, and add a little extra for leftovers. Want to just cook parts? To make four servings, cook one whole breast and one leg. To make eight servings, cooking one whole breast and two legs. To make twelve servings, cook two whole breasts and two legs or one whole breast and four legs.
VIDEO: How to roast turkey parts in under an hour »
How do I thaw the turkey?
Thaw a wrapped frozen turkey on a tray in your refrigerator, allowing five hours per pound; or submerge the wrapped bird in cold water for 30 minutes per pound, changing the water every half-hour.
VIDEO: How to clean and prep a butter-basted turkey »
What should I look for in a roasting pan?
We like the following features:
- An Adjustable Rack: It can hold meats of all shapes and sizes. The best are made from nonstick materials.
- A Manufacturer's Guarantee: Make sure they'll replace your pan if it warps or buckles.
- Sturdy, Fixed Handles: It should be easy to grab with oven-mitted hands.
- A Rectangular Shape: It fits inside your oven with 2 inches of clearance on all sides (to ensure good heat circulations). A 14- to 16-inch-long pan fits inside your roasting pan.
- Manageable Weight: The roasting pan should be light enough to handle when it's loaded down with a 20-pound turkey.
How do I know when the turkey's done?
Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the inner thigh, then the inner wing, of a cooked bird, without touching bone. The temperature should be between 165° and 170° and will rise slightly as the turkey sits.
VIDEO: How to cook a butter-basted turkey »
VIDEO: How to carve a turkey »
You've been great. But who can I ask for extra help?
Lucky you! The Every Day with Rachael Ray test kitchen'll be answering your Thanksgiving cooking questions during the week of November 16—go to rachaelraymag.com/thanksgiving for more. You can also direct all of your holiday turkey trimming questions to the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline (888-674-6853), Reynolds Turkey Tips Hotline (800-745-4000) or Butterball Turkey Talk-Line (800-288-8372).
By Every Day with Rachael Ray staff | Photography by Kirsten Strecker
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