How to Roast a Turkey

To properly view this site, javascript must be enabled and Flash version 9 or higher must be installed.
Get the latest Flash player
Daniel Traster, National Turkey Federation
Chef/Culinary Consultant, Self-employed
http://www.eatturkey.com  
 

Currently, culinary consultant, freelance food writer, and author of "Welcome to Culinary School."  8 years experience in culinary education management.  Prior industry experience includes: Four Seasons Philadelphia, Occasions Caterers, American University, MacArthur Beverages.  Education: AOS in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America; BA in English/Theater from Yale University; MS in Adult Learning and Human Resource Development from Virginia Tech.  Active in the following professional associations: The International Association of Culinary Professionals, The American Institute of Wine & Food, The American Culinary Federation, and the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington

How to Roast a Turkey

In this video Chef Daniel Traster will demonstrate how to roast the perfect holiday turkey.

This expert: 110,385 views

This series: 61,189 views

Print

How to Roast a Turkey

Ingredients

A Turkey
Any seasonings and flavorings that you might wish to add

Instructions

 


1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.


2. Cut open the turkey and lift it out of its packaging and remove the giblet bag.


3. Season your turkey by placing some seasoning underneath the skin so that it's directly against the meat. You could also place the seasoning on top or stuff the cavity with flavors.


4. If you choose to stuff your turkey with a traditional turkey dressing, you'll want to keep the wet and dry ingredients separate until just before stuffing them. Then combine them and place them loosely in the cavity of the turkey.


5. Tuck the wings underneath the breast and back to pin them down. Place a V-roasting rack inside the roasting pan and place the turkey on the rack.


6. Place it in the oven, close the door, and allow it to roast. Fifteen minutes per pound of turkey.


7. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the turkey's temperature. 165 degrees is the minimum for a final temperature.

Print

Transcripts

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.

Other Videos

  • How to Make Herb Vinagrette How to Make Herb Vinagrette
  • Vodka Drinks - How to Make a Bloody Mary This video explains how to make the most ordered and most famous vodka drinks in detail. Vodka can do anything gin can do, and it tastes better. Learn the secrets to using the most heavily used liquor in high volume bars.
  • How to Make Basil Walnut Pesto This video will show how to make basil walnut pesto for the calamari.
  • Vodka Drinks - How to Make a Watermelon Martini This video explains how to make the most ordered and most famous vodka drinks in detail. Vodka can do anything gin can do, and it tastes better. Learn the secrets to using the most heavily used liquor in high volume bars.
  • Vegetable Preparation - Peel and Cut Asparagus In these videos, Robert demonstrates how to deal with basic kitchen and prep tasks such as slicing vegetables, food safety tips and adds a couple of recipes too.
  • Pairing Wine with Bison How to Pair Wine with Bison. Get 15% off your bison order by copying this link into your browser: <a href="http://www.highplainsbison.com/wine4bison">www.highplainsbison.com/wine4bison</a>