Instructions For The Christmas Feast Recipe

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Servings: 1

Ingredients

  • What Size Turkey Do I Need For your turkeys weighing less than 12 pounds, plan to purchase 1 lb. per person. If your turkey weighs more than 12 pounds, you will only need 3/4 lb. for each guest. Boneless breast of turkey allow 1/2 lb. per person, Breast of turkey 3/4 lb. per person. Generally a 16-20 lb. turkey will feed 10 with leftovers. Figure on a 20-24 lb. turkey for 16 people. How Long Should I Cook It Weight (pounds) Unstuffed Cooking Time (hrs) Stuffed Cooking Time (hrs)
  • 8 x to 12 ----------------- 2 3/4 to 3 3 to 3 1/2
  • 12 x to 14 --------------- 3 to 3 3/4- 3 1/2 to 4
  • 14 x to 18 --------------- 3 3/4 to 4 1/4- 4 to 4 1/4
  • 18 x to 20 --------------- 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 4 1/4 to 4 3/4
  • 20 x to 24 --------------- 4 1/2 to 5- 4 3/4 to 5 1/4

Directions

  1. For additional turkey help and ideas call the following hotlines.
  2. Recorded messages 24 hrs a day. Home economists and registered dietitians are available to answer questions from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. eastern time.
  3. Special holiday hrs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. eastern time.
  4. You Did Want Leftovers, Right
  5. Store your leftovers promptly and properly.
  6. Don't leave the remains of the feast out for more than two hrs.
  7. Separate all leftovers into shallow containers to allow for quick cooling.
  8. Chill or possibly freeze promptly.
  9. Stuffing should be removed from the turkey during the meal. Place the leftover stuffing in a separate container from the turkey and gravy. Use the stuffing and gravy within two days.
  10. Remove remaining turkey meat from bones and prepare for freezing or possibly plan to use within 2-3 days.
  11. Use frzn turkey within 6 months.
  12. Reheat leftovers to 165 degrees. Boil any soups or possibly sauces.
  13. Ten Steps to a Perfectly Roasted Turkey
  14. If your turkey pan has been stored since you last time the holiday dinner was held at your house, wash it in warm, soapy water. You can use the disposable foil pans but double them up as they are usually too flimsy to hold large, heavy turkeys.
  15. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
  16. Look for a paper-wrapped lump inside the turkey, usually stuffed in the cavity. These are the giblets. Toss these into a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator till you're ready to use them to make gravy stock or possibly throw away them.
  17. Rinse the bird inside and out with running water in a freshly cleaned and sanitized sink. Lay out a thick layer of paper towels to set the turkey on and let drain briefly. Pat dry with paper towels.
  18. Stuff the turkey loosely with freshly prepared stuffing if you don't want to cook the stuffing in a separate dish.
  19. Place the bird, breast side up, on a rack inside your clean pan and brush or possibly rub the skin with oil, melted butter or possibly whatever your recipe suggests. Now either tie the drumsticks together with string or possibly tuck them under the skin to keep them from flopping around.
  20. Insert a reliable meat thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey's inner thigh. Make sure is not touching bone and is pointed toward the body. Otherwise, you can use an instant-read type thermometer, that does not go in the oven but will be used later.
  21. In a couple of hrs, when the turkey is about 2/3 of the way done cooking, the skin has a light golden brown tan and turkey aroma is in the air, tear off a piece of lightweight aluminum foil and make a tent over the breast to prevent dryness.
  22. About 30 min before the scheduled finish time, start checking the turkey with the thermometer. The turkey is done when the thermometer reaches 180-185 F. If the turkey is stuffed, be sure to take the temperature of the stuffing too, that should read 160-165 F. Refer to the table above for approximate cooking times.
  23. When the turkey has passed the temperature test, remove the foil and place it on a serving platter to stand for 20-30 min before carving. In the meantime, prepare the gravy in the roasting pan.
  24. How To Bake a Pie
  25. Start with the PanStandard pie pans measure nine inches rim-to-rim, though many recipes will work just as well in a ten inch pan. Pie pans can be made of ceramic, glass or possibly metal, but experts differ on that produces the best crust; all agree, though, which any well-made pan is superior to the flimsy aluminum pans found in supermarket baking aisles. You do not need to grease pie pans as you would cake pans; pie dough contains sufficient fat to release the pan easily when the time comes.
  26. Making Pie DoughTypical pie dough is made with flour and salt, butter or possibly shortening, and water or possibly lowfat milk, with occasional additions such as oatmeal, spices or possibly cheese. Fats
  27. (butter, shortening or possibly oil) should be incorporated quickly till the dough forms pea size granules. The dough shouldn't become too hot or possibly be handled excessively. Many recipes specify cool lowfat milk or possibly ice water to help make sure which the fats do not hot up. Once the dough is made, form it into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and chill it briefly. Most recipes ask for it, and if they do not, it cannot hurt - which way, it will not become too soft to roll out properly.
  28. Rolling Out Pie DoughYou will need a clean work surface and a rolling pin (a full beverage bottle or possibly a heavy, straight-sided glass tumbler will work almost as well). Sprinkle flour lightly and proportionately on your work surface and lay dough on it. Start with the heel of your hand, pressing the dough into a thick, flat disk. Lightly sprinkle flour on the dough and roll, from the center out, to the size indicated in the recipe. To get the dough circle into the pan, you can roll it up onto the rolling pin and unroll it into the pan. Or possibly fold the circle in half, then in half again, forming a wedge; place the point of the wedge in the center of the pan and unfold back into a circle.
  29. The Top CrustTop crusts can be either plain or possibly lattice. A plain top is rolled out the same way as the bottom crust, only a bit smaller. After placing the top over the filling, fold the edge of the bottom crust over the edge of the top crust and crimp with a fork to seal. Pierce a few small holes near the center of the top crust with a fork or possibly toothpick to allow steam to escape during baking.
  30. Lattice TopRoll out the dough reserved for the top (it doesn't have to be in a circle) and cut diagonally into long strips of even width, 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. To make decorative edges on the lattice strips, cut them out with a pastry wheel.
  31. Place half the strips in one direction over pie filling, letting the filling show through between them. One at a time, lay the remaining strips at right angles, weaving them through the first batch of strips. Trim edges and healthy pinch them at the edge to seal. (For a less tricky variation, simply lay the second batch of strips over the first and call it done.)
  32. Cookie or possibly Nut CrustsMany pies have a single crust made of crumbs (cookie or possibly graham cracker) or possibly finely grnd nuts, bound together with melted butter. These are pressed proportionately into the bottom of the pan and leveled off or possibly fluted just above the rim. The key to these crusts is making sure they're even; it's easy to leave some parts much thinner than others. Use another pan of the same size to press to an even thickness. It's a good idea to chill or possibly even freeze these before filling them (covered snugly to keep them from absorbing tastes) if they're not going to be pre-baked.
  33. Pre-bakingMany recipes call for the crust to be pre-baked. With crumb or possibly nut crusts, this is simple, but with crusts made from pie dough, you'll need to make sure which the bottom crust doesn't puff up. Carefully line the bottom of the unbaked crust with aluminum foil or possibly baking parchment paper, weighing it down with dry beans (or possibly pie weights, if you have them) and bake as directed; this will keep the bottom surface flat and even. Your piecrust is then ready to be filled.

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