If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, you’re probably at least a little worried about your turkey coming out perfectly. But you can let all that go because Martha Stewart is happy to share her pro tips for dealing with the bird and putting safety and health first. And Stewart says, “I have never been sick cooking a turkey,” so she knows what she’s talking about.
- Keep everything clean - This is her first hack for making sure your guests don’t get sick. That means washing your hands frequently, keeping your cooking area sanitary by wiping up “turkey juices” with paper towels, not cloth towels, and Martha recommends wearing rubber gloves, too.
- Keep that turkey just cold-enough before cooking - “If you bought a frozen turkey, thaw it in the original bag it comes in,” Stewart advises. “If you have a fresh turkey, just keep it really cold in the coldest part of the refrigerator.” And today’s the day to think about this because she says it’ll take two days to thaw a large frozen turkey in the fridge. But wait to stuff it until the day you’re actually cooking it.
- Use the right tools - Don’t skimp when it comes to putting the turkey in the oven, Martha says those “floppy aluminum pans” are a big no and that we should be using a proper roasting pan with a rack instead. Then make sure to use a thermometer to check the turkey’s center and the thickest part of the thigh to make sure it’s 165-degrees. And her final suggestion is to “Garnish beautifully, of course.” She is Martha Stewart, after all.
Source: Food and Wine