It's almost Thanksgiving and I hope you have your turkey thawing!
Although Thanksgiving is not an Italian holiday, many people around the world enjoy the foods commonly eaten on this holiday. Roasted turkey, potatoes and pie are favorites for many people.
You can also add some wonderful Italian flavor to your Thanksgiving with some Italian herbs and a good bottle of Italian wine.
Here are some planning and cooking tips for stress-free holiday cooking...
Pies. You can make your pies the day before since they are a lot of work and tie up your oven for quite a while. This will save you much time and stress on Thanksgiving day when you have enough to do!
What size turkey? Buy one pound per person or 1 1/2 pounds per person if you have hearty eaters or want ample leftovers.
Plan ahead for roasting your turkey. Unless you buy a fresh, thawed turkey, you will need days for your frozen turkey to thaw. You can safely thaw your turkey in your refrigerator.
Here is a general guide:
4 to 12 pounds thaw for 1 to 3 days
12 to 16 pounds thaw for 3 to 4 days
16 to 20 pounds thaw for 4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pounds thaw for 5 to 6 days
For faster thawing you can use cold water. Make sure the water is not able to leak through the wrapping and submerge your turkey in cold tap water - cover entire turkey with water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Allow 30 minutes per pound to defrost a turkey in cold water. Do not use warm or hot water. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed and do not refreeze.
On Thanksgiving, you want to plan your day around the cooking time for the size of your turkey.
Cooking times: Roast in oven at 325°F
6-8 pounds = 3½ - 4 hours
8-12 pounds = 4 - 4½ hours
12-16 pounds = 4½ - 5½ hours
16-20 pounds = 5½ - 6½ hours
20-24 pounds = 6½ - 7½ hours
Your turkey may have a popup thermometer, but you can always use a roasting thermometer or instant read to be sure it is done. A whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 180 °F in the thickest part of the thigh.
Add some Italian flavor to your Thanksgiving...
Try rubbing your turkey with olive oil instead of butter. I like to make a paste with olive oil and my favorite Italian herbs: sage, thyme and marjoram. You can use fresh, but dried herbs work fine especially for this time of year.
Loosen the skin over the turkey breast and use your fingers to rub the oil/herb mixture directly on the turkey meat, then smooth the skin back over the herbs. This adds flavor and helps retain the moisture of the breast meat.
Garlic Mashed potatoes are a wonderful side dish that everyone enjoys. Toss in some whole garlic cloves in the oven to roast with the turkey (garlic takes about an hour depending on the cooking temperature) To save time, you can peel the potatoes a day before and immerse them in water with a tablespoon of vinegar to prevent them from turning brown. Once you have cooked your potatoes and are ready to mash, add the roasted garlic cloves with your butter and cream for extra flavor.
Focaccia bread. Instead of plain dinner rolls, try a focaccia bread. Focaccia bread is available in most grocery stores today. It has a wonderful flavor and can be used to make sandwiches with the leftover turkey. Try a turkey panini.
Italian Wine. You can also serve a Pinot Grigio or other nice, dry white Italian Wine with your dinner.
I hope these tips help to make your holiday a happy and delicious experience, and if you are wondering what to do with any leftover turkey, try my Turkey Tetrazzini.
