Thawing: Frozen turkeys & poultry have to be thoroughly thawed in a cool room before cooking. To check the bird is completely thawed, make sure there are no ice crystals in the body cavity and that the legs are flexible. Once defrosted, store in the bottom of the refrigerator until required.
Stuffing: It is strongly recommended that stuffing is cooked separately. If the bird is stuffed, this should be placed in the neck cavity only and additional cooking time must be added.
Cooking: The table below is just a guide. Cook at a temperature of 190 deg centigrade (375f) Gas Mark 5 and baste regularly. To test that cooking is complete, insert a skewer into a thigh and ensure that the juices run clear. The bird should finish cooking approximately 30 minutes before serving, when it should be left to stand/rest. This also makes carving easier. Any meat remaining should be cooled quickly, placed in the refrigerator and used within 3 days.
| Oven ready weight | Thawing time | Cooking time
(foil wrapped) | Approx. No. of servings |
|---|
| 550-1.4kg | 4-10hrs | 1-1.5 hrs | 2-4 |
| 1.4-2.3kg (3-5lb) | 10-15hrs | 1.5-2 hrs | 4-6 |
| 2.3-3.6kg (5-8lb) | 15-18hrs | 2-3 hrs | 6-10 |
| 3.6-5kg (8-11lb) | 18-20hrs | 3-3.5 hrs | 10-15 |
| 5-6.8kg (11-15lb) | 20-24hrs | 3.5-4.5 hrs | 15-20 |
| 6.8-9kg (15-20lb) | 24-30hrs | 4.5-5 hrs | 20-30 |
Remember: Oven temperatures may vary - this is just a guide.
If you have a meat thermometer ensure the deepest muscle temperature is 75 deg C or above.
Twelve tips for a safe Christmas/Party
- Do not prepare food too far in advance
- Take chilled/frozen food home in cool bags
- Check the 'use by' dates
- Keep your kitchen clean
- Keep your fridge between 0 and 5 degrees centigrade
- Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling food
- Keep cooked and raw food separate
- Plan the menu and defrost food thoroughly before use
- Keep pets away from food
- Store cooked food above raw food in a refrigerator
- Follow the cooking instructions on the packets
- Cook food thoroughly and "have a safe meal"
Date Marking
It is easy to know when food is "off" by amongst other things the smell. But if the food is pre-packed, how can you tell whether the food is fit to be eaten?
One way is by looking at the date mark on the packaging.
There are two types of date mark, namely "Use By" and "Best Before".
A "Use By" date is, as the name suggests, the date by which a food should be used. This type of date mark is only applied to highly perishable foods, where to use the food past the date shown may pose a health risk e.g. food poisoning.
A "Best Before" date is different in that, as this name suggests, it is a date by which a food should be used if it is to be enjoyed at its best. In other words this type of date mark relates to food quality rather than food safety. This type of date mark is only applied to those foods with a long shelf life including frozen and tinned foods.
For more information Food Hygiene and Food Safety
