Rob’s tips for cooking the perfect turkey

Cooking a turkey is an art form. Cook it for too long and it can go dry. Cook it just the right way, and you will have a show stopping meal that’ll leave the table speechless. We’ve rounded up Rob’s top tips to cooking your turkey to perfection this year. 

1. Remove the turkey from the fridge and allow the bird to reach room temperature before cooking.
2. If you’re stuffing your bird, stuff ONLY the neck cavity and recalculate your total cooking time to include the extra weight of the stuffing. Morton’s recommend cooking the stuffing separately. Alternately, place a large Bramley apple or peeled onion in the cavity or around the bird for added flavor. The giblets can be used to create a lovely stock, which also helps to get the most out of the turkey. 
3. Sprinkle the bird with salt and pepper, then place it skin-side down, covered in foil, in a roasting tin. This will help keep the breast meat moist as the fats from the back permeate through the breast.
4. Halfway through the recommended cooking time, turn the bird over to its back for the remainder of the cooking time. About 30 minutes before the full cooking time, remove the foil to allow the breast to brown.
5. It is very important to not overcook your turkey. It should be moist and succulent! This can be avoided by using a pop up timer that detects when the turkey is cooked or testing with a fork on the inside of the thighs. If they juices run golden and clear, the bird is ready. If they run pink, keep cooking. The other option is to purchase a digital thermometer, such as a Meater, that will tell you when you’ve reached peak temperature – usually 74 degrees Celsius.
6. Once fully cooked – remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving to ensure it has time to rest! If you carve it too soon, the juices will run out and will cause the turkey to become dry.

Ways to budget – Budgeting is on everyone’s minds this year. Make the most of your turkey and take advantage of all the parts so none goes to waste. 

Use the giblets to make a stock, the bones for soup, and of course, you can transform your leftover turkey meat into a number of dishes from turkey currys and sandwiches to pasta dishes and more to make it go the extra mile.