Bird Certified: Your house is acceptable to visit for an exceptional turkey experience.
There are two truths about an empty house on the holidays:
1. You don't have many friends.
or
2. You don't know how to cook.
A great cook has tons of friends, especially around the holidays. So you can kill two birds with one stone by just learning how to cook.
Over the holidays my mother would make this succulent golden brown turkey that would ooze with turkey drippings and a tangy orange glaze. Needless to say our house was packed at least twice a year over the holidays. To get your house "Bird Certified" and get your friends spreading the buzz about your superior chef skills you're first going to need to know how to cook a turkey.
Choosing your turkey there are three kids of birds you can choose from and if you don't choose the right one, your dinner will be a complete failure. Nah... just kidding you can work with any of the three.
1)Heritage- Your Basic Wild Turkey. These are not as abundant as commercial turkeys and cost a bit. As you can imagine someone had to shoot or capture this thing.
2) Organic/Natural/Free Range Turkeys- They have permission to come and go as they please, they live outside and live a good life for a turkey. These can cost a little more per pound, but because of the flavor it is definitely worth it.
3)Conventional Turkeys- These are definitely economical by all means. Their meat can be a little drier since the birds breast tend to be a lot bigger in proportion to the rest of its body.
These are the cheapest.
So after you get your bird you're going to need to thaw it out
Forget the Microwave. Forget running cold water over it. Forget whatever crazy way people thaw turkeys nowadays. Here is the safest and most practical way.
Use your refrigerator! It takes some pre planning, but is worth it. You want your bird evenly thawed out.
Time to Thaw a Turkey in the Fridge
8 to 12 pounds - 2 to 3 days
13 to 16 pounds - 3 to 4 days
17 - 20 pounds - 4 to 5 days
21 - 24 pounds - 5 to 6 days
After your bird is thawed. Make sure to remove the neck and giblets. This is essential so your guest don't scream and feel sick.
Key guide line to remember. You don't want to add your stuffing in your turkey. This is a personal secret I applied before I found out it was dangerous because of bacterial infection.
Stuffing messes with your turkeys cooking time so cook it separately. Trust me it'll taste just as good if you do it right.
So here is my moms Secret Orange Delight Turkey Recipe Enjoy
