Turn That Turkey Upside Down

We've Been Doing It Wrong

Turn That Turkey Upside Down

Sydney butcher Adam Stratton has lifted the veil on how to cook the perfect roast turkey this Christmas.
"The method is fool proof," he said.
"The secret is to cook the turkey "bum up".

"When people complain of a dry turkey, it's because they cook it the wrong way. You need to start cooking the turkey breast side down. Put another way, get its bum in the air. It's guaranteed to work."

Mr Stratton, who runs the successful Tender Gourmet Butchery Chain in Sydney, said he is always inundated with customers' Christmas questions about the best way to cook the perfect turkey.

Follow these tips and you'll have a meal to remember:
1) If you've already bought a frozen turkey – it will take time to thaw out. Don't leave it until the last minute. If it's a massive bird, it could take up to 5 days to get ready. Get it out of the deep freezer now and into the fridge.
2) Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees
3) Push butter under the skin
4) Salt and pepper the outside skin of the bird then cover with olive oil
5) Put it into a large roasting tray and cook the turkey breast side down
6) Add 500ml of chicken stock to the bottom of the pan to keep it moist.
7) Loosely cover with foil
8) Midway through cooking add more butter and baste with some stock.
9) With half an hour to go, pour out any excess stock that's still in the bottom to the tray, and turn the turkey breast side up.
10) Melt 250ml of maple syrup and 250g of butter, in a saucepan and baste it 20- 30 minutes before you take it out of the oven.
11) Once the timer goes off, let it rest for half an hour covered with foil before serving.
12) For perfect results - use a meat thermometer so you know exactly when it's ready.

Cooking Turkey

Electing and cooking a turkey can be tricky. Use the guide below to determine what size bird you'll need, and how long it as to cook for (All turkeys should be cooked at 160c)
Size 30 (3kg) " 40 (4kg) 2.5-3 hours serves six to eight people
Size 40 (4kg) " 60 (6kg) 3-4 hours serves eight to 12 people
Size 60 (6kg) " 80 (8kg) 4-5 hours serves 12 to 16 people
Size 80 (8kg) " 100 (10kg) 5-5.5 hours serves 16 to 20 people
Allow for 500g per person
Add an extra half an hour if your turkey is stuffed

The Good Stuff
Stuffing can make or break a Christmas bird. Adam recommends his secret stuffing.

Ingredients
Eight slices of bread (Can be going stale)
Half a cup of chopped onions
Half a cup of chopped celery
150g butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon of chopped thyme
1 cup of chicken stock
half a cup of walnuts (optional)
one cup of diced apple (optional)

Method
Melt the butter, then combine all the ingredients, using your hands to mix together. Stuff tightly in the bird's cavity