Fast Method

Place the frozen turkey (still in its sealed bag) in a sink or a large container and cover it completely with cold water. Allow 1 hour per pound of turkey (2 hours per kilogram).

Regular Method

Place the frozen turkey (still in its sealed bag) in a pan or roaster in a refrigerator. Allow 5 hours per pound (10 hours per kilogram) of turkey. (A twenty-pound turkey will take approximately four days to thaw).

Giblets: Giblets are packaged in a plastic bag and found either in the neck or body cavity. Remove and rinse in cold water before cooking.

Stuffing Preparation: Stuffing can be prepared separately and placed in a covered casserole dish to cook during the last hour of the turkey roasting time. For those who prefer to stuff their turkey: Prepare stuffing and spoon loosely into the body cavity just before roasting, do not pack stuffing. Never stuff your turkey the day before. Remove stuffing before carving the turkey.

Seasoning and Roasting Your Turkey: Place turkey breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Season the skin and inside the cavity with any combination of salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, cayenne, thyme, rosemary or your favourite herbs and spices. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful not to touch the bone.

Roasting Your Turkey: Place the roaster in the oven and cover loosely with foil or a roaster lid. Roast in a preheated oven 325° to 350° F (160° – 180° C). If you choose to baste your turkey, limit the number of times you open and close your oven (once an hour is sufficient). To brown skin further, remove foil or roaster lid approximately 1 hour before done. The general rule of thumb for oven-cooking a stuffed turkey at 325° F is 15 minutes per pound (30 minutes per kilogram).

Many variables affect the roasting time. An accurate meat thermometer is recommended. Time will vary based on the temperature of the preheated oven, the temperature of the bird going into the oven, the accuracy of the oven's thermostat, how many times the oven door is opened during roasting and the type of roasting pan. We find stainless steel roasters cook more slowly than the darker speckled enamelware.

Begin checking for doneness about one hour before the recommended roasting time ends.

Your turkey is done when:

• Meat thermometer in the inner thigh reads 180° F (82° C) for a stuffed turkey

• Meat thermometer in the inner thigh reads 170° F (77° C) for an unstuffed turkey

• When cooked to perfection, the turkey meat and juices may have a slight pink tinge.

The temperature of the meat is the most important sign of doneness.

Rest Your Turkey: When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven or barbecue. Cover it with foil and let it stand for 20-25 minutes before carving. Letting your turkey stand for at least 15 minutes will help lock in the natural juices, keeping the meat tender and easier to carve.

A note on prepping a Winter's Turkey for smoking; here at the farm, we do not brine our turkeys. This is because our birds have enough fat cover not to need a brine. If you would like to brine your turkey, skip down to the second step.

1. Rub your turkey with herbs, spices, and salt/sugar. Place the rub under the skin of the breast and on the thighs and drums.

2. Ensure that your turkey is brought to room temperature. This will ensure more even temperatures in your bird.

3. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. A turkey takes roughly 25-30 min/lbs at this temp to cook (55-66 min/kg).

4. Place the turkey in the area of the smoker with the most consistent heat.

5. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, but limit the number of times you open the smoke chamber as you don't want to release heat frequently. Wait to start checking the bird until an hour before it should be finished.

6. Once your turkey has reached an internal temperature of 165°F, it is safe to serve. Checking the deepest part of the breast and thigh is best. If both read 165, remove the bird from the smoker, cover it with foil and let it rest for 15-30 min.

If you are looking for more info, check out BBQ With Franklin for tips on smoking a turkey.

Cooking a Winter's Smoked Turkey

A smoked turkey, although fully cooked, responds favourably to roasting, tenderizing the succulent meat.

1. Mix two tablespoons of cane, brown sugar, or maple syrup with two tablespoons of Dijon-prepared mustard.

2. Generously spread over the top of the turkey. Cover the roasting pan and place it in a preheated oven.

3. A smoked turkey needs roughly 10 min/lbs at 325 degrees. Using a meat thermometer in the deepest part of the breast and thigh, check for doneness with a desired temperature of 150 degrees.

A few notes to be aware of:

Deep Frying should only be done outdoors and never on wooden decks or inside a garage.

Do not stuff your turkey.

DEEP FRYING A TURKEY

For best results, choose a Winter’s Free Range Turkey weighing between 10 and 17 pounds (4.54-7.7kg).

If you are using a frozen turkey, be sure that the turkey is totally thawed before immersing it in the oil. If the turkey is still frozen, the oil can spill over the top and be dangerous.

First, remove turkey from the bag. Rinse with cool water and be sure to remove giblets and neck from the cavities.

If marinating, inject or season at this point. Place turkey into another large bag, and return to the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.

Before cooking, ensure that the turkey is dry by patting with paper towel, both inside and out. Excess moisture on, or in, the turkey will cause the oil to splatter.

Be aware that the sides and handles of the fryers can become dangerously hot.

To measure the correct amount of vegetable oil:

1. Place turkey in empty deep fry vessel.

2. Fill vessel with water until turkey is completely submerged.

3. Remove turkey and completely dry all moisture off surface of turkey as described above.

4. Submerge a measuring stick into water to measure height of the water in the vessel. Mark the measuring stick at the watermark.

5. Dispose of water.

6. Stand measuring stick upright in empty vessel and fill vessel to marked point with vegetable oil.

7. Preheat oil to 400°F (204°C). The optimal temperature for deep-frying is 375°F (190.5°C); if the temperature is not hot enough, the turkey will absorb more oil and may taste greasy. It is best to use a thermometer to ensure accuracy. The temperature of the oil will drop appropriately as the cold turkey is immersed. Vegetable oil is recommended.

8. Using oven mitts and long-handled utensils, CAREFULLY lower the turkey into the oil. The turkey should be totally immersed in the oil to ensure even cooking.

9. Turkey needs 3-4 min/lbs to cook so 12 lbs turkey takes approximately 42 minutes to cook, and a 17 lbs bird takes 60 min. To check for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the thigh. The optimum temperature is 170°F (77°C).

10. At this point, remove your golden brown turkey from the oil, ensuring that the oil is drained from the cavity. Place on a rack and cover with foil. Let the turkey stand for at least 20 minutes to allow it to finish cooking and also to allow the juices to set. This is a very important procedure … don’t rush or skip it.

Cooking instructions come care of the Canadian Turkey website at Source: Canadian Turkey

New York Times: How to Carve a Turkey