How to Roast a Turkey

Sherrie Rosenblatt: Hi! I am Sherrie Rosenblatt with the National Turkey Federation and today we are going to teach you how to roast a turkey. A lot of times, people get really stressed out about the Thanksgiving holiday. I promise you roasting your turkey is probably the easiest part of your Thanksgiving meal. That's why I have invited chef Daniel Traster to be with us today. He is not only a trained chef, but he is also a Culinary Educator, so please welcome chef Daniel Traster. Daniel Traster: Thank you Sherrie. Today we are going to be working on how to roast the turkey. I am excited to demonstrate for you in several steps. We are going to start with preparation and hand washing and removing the giblets from the turkey and how to season it. We will talk about the Open-Pan Method and placing it in the oven. We will then cover how do you know when your turkey is done using a food thermometer and conclude with leftovers and how to keep them safe for you. So let's talk first about what ingredients and tools we are going to need. Of course, you are going to need your turkey and any seasonings and flavorings that you might wish to add. As for equipment, you are going to need a roasting rack and a roasting pan. I prefer a V-Roasting Rack so that it helps to cradle the turkey as you are working. You are also going to need the Instant-Read Food Thermometer to take the temperature of the turkey, so you know when it's done. You will need some aluminum foil to tent it and allow it to carry over when it comes out of the oven. You will use pot holders to move things in and out of the oven of course, and something to transport the turkey out of the pan when you are done. I actually just use some paper towels. In addition to that, we are going to be talking about some safety and making sure that your food is safe. You obviously want to avoid burns and cuts because you are working in a kitchen, but when it comes to food safety, I am actually talking about making sure you don't get food poisoning. Then we will go into some detail more about that later on. I am currently the Culinary Director for the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show and I have eight years of culinary education experience. I am really looking forward to getting started and showing you how to roast a turkey.