The Healthiest Way of Cooking Turkey

We recommend roasting turkey to bring out its best flavor although you will have to allot several hours for cooking.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Rub 3 TBS lemon juice and some salt and pepper on the outside of the turkey. Then lift up the skin where you can and rub these seasonings directly on the flesh.

Place the turkey breast side down in a shallow roasting pan. Roast unstuffed turkey for 15 minutes for each pound.

At 30 to sixty minutes before it is done, measure the internal temperature with a thermometer. (The range reflects the differing size of the turkey; do so at 30 minutes for smaller turkeys and 60 minutes for larger ones.) When it reaches 125˚F/74˚F, you should turn the turkey and then increase the oven temperature to

400˚F/200˚C for the remaining roasting time.

When the turkey is done, its internal temperature must read 165°-170°F/74°-77°C when the thermometer is inserted into the mid-thigh. When it is done remove it to a platter, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes before carving to allow the juices to be redistributed and the meat to become moist throughout.

If you want optimal safety, it is better to cook turkey stuffing outside of the turkey, for the simple reason that contamination of the stuffing with microorganisms from the raw turkey is not possible if the stuffing is cooked separately. However, many people look forward to the special flavor of stuffing cooked inside the turkey, and if you decide to use that procedure, please make sure that the center of your stuffing is tested with a cooking thermometer and reaches a minimum of 165˚F/74˚C.

For details, see Holiday Turkey with Rice Stuffing & Gravy with Fresh Herbs.

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