Turkey in the oven: recipe

The tradition of preparing for a holiday hot dishes from turkey appeared many centuries ago and it takes its origin from pagan sacrifices. In this case, most often the whole bird is baked. The dishes from turkey fillet in the oven are more everyday.

Turkey in the oven: traditional recipe

So, put the turkey on the chopping board. Make deep cuts on the entire surface and place in them halves of garlic heads. Cover the turkey with olive oil and your favorite spices (ajika or whole-grain mustard, for example).

Attach the smeared bird with leaves of rosemary, sage and any other herbs that you like. It is necessary to cover the turkey not only from the outside, but also from the inside. Inside the bird you can put lemons, cut into four parts, apples or oranges.

Put the turkey in a heat-resistant dish so that the breast is on top. Wrap the dish with the bird foil and send it to the refrigerator for at least a night. The next morning, take out the turkey and leave it on the table for a couple of hours.

Marinating birds

Begins to prepare a turkey in the oven, the recipe of cooking which has gained popularity not so long ago, with marinating meat.

Soak a whole turkey in the composition, the recipe of which is given below, for at least three days. All this time, meat should be kept in a refrigerator or a room with a low temperature.

Ingredients:

- 6 liters of water;

- 125 grams of salt;

- 3 tablespoons of peppercorns;

- a stick of cinnamon (you need to break it into several parts);

- a tablespoon of cumin;

- A pair of carnation sticks;

- two tablespoons of spices;

- two tablespoons of sharp mustard;

- 120 grams of sugar;

- two onions (you need to cut them into several pieces along);

- 4 crushed garlic cloves;

- powder from the root of ginger;

- Orange (do not remove the peel);

- 4 tablespoons of honey;

- chopped cilantro or parsley.

Preparation:

In the morning, the day you plan to start preparing the turkey in the oven, the recipe of which you now recognize, take it out of the marinade. After this, rinse with cold water and wipe dry on the outside and inside with towels.

Start baking the bird as described above. Prepared a bird leave for a couple of hours in the kitchen. So she comes to the oven before the room temperature.

Bake turkey in the oven

Already prepared turkey put on a refractory dish, then put in the oven and bake for half an hour at a temperature of 250 degrees. During this time, the sides and top of the bird should brown. Then close the foil top and continue baking the turkey until ready, not forgetting to periodically water it with the juices and fats that are collected at the bottom of the pan.

For baking in the oven, there is a standard time - an hour per kilogram of weight. Remember that in the last 30 minutes you need to remove the foil in order for the bird to brown.

If you decide to bake other than turkey and garnish, then add it only for 40 minutes before the time of full poultry cooking.

There are conflicting tips on how best to bake a turkey: upward with a breast or legs. From our experience it follows that the bird will be better if it is put down by the breast. So the juices that accumulate on the bottom will make it juicier and more tender.

In order to make sure that the turkey in the oven, the recipe of which you just read, is completely ready, it is necessary to pierce it with a wooden stick in the widest part of the breast. The juice that will flow out must be clear and clean. And, of course, do not contain blood.

When the bird is completely ready, remove it from the oven and leave "rest" for 20 minutes in a warm place. Only cover with a pre-foil and a towel.

Baked turkey is the main dish of any festive table. Therefore, it must be served solemnly. Better on a beautiful large dish and last. The hostess or master must cut the turkey in thin slices, starting from the breast. And you need to do this before serving.