Everything you need to know to cook a perfect turkey!

So we all want to know how to cook the perfect turkey for Christmas dinner, for our partners, family, children parents and defiantly ourselves! So i've been looking around and decided to type up a fool proof guide to cooking a turkey, from how long what size takes to cook to storing your leftovers!! So sit back get a cuppa and enjoy this read.....hopefully making your mouth water and your 'light bulbs' light up!

So first we'll talk about what size turkey serves how many people:

• 2-2.5kg serves 4-6
• 3kg       serves 6-7
• 3.5kg    serves 7-8
• 4-4.5kg serves 8-10
• 5-5.5kg serves 10-12
• 6-6.5kg serves 12-15

Great so now we know how big our turkey needs to be! The next task will be to thaw your turkey! Your turkey can be thawed in a fridge or a cool room. If thawing in the fridge (4C), allow 8-12hours per kg. If thawing in a cool room (17.5C), allow 3-4 hours per kg. Please not all timings are approximate.

Stuffing the turkey is the next task! Stuffing can be prepared ahead, but no not stuff the bird until it is about to be cooked. Only stuff the neck cavity, never the body cavity! As is will not cook through. This can be filled with fresh herbs and slices of lemon or onion.

To roast your turkey, set your oven at 190C/170 fan/gas 5. Always weigh your turkey after stuffing for accurate timing. The latest advice is that if your is over 4kg, calculate 20mins per kg + 90 mins. If the bird is under 4kg, calculate 20mins per kg + 70mins. Pierce the meat where the thigh meets the body to see if the juices run clear, if not put it back in the oven for another 20mins.

Carving your turkey is much easier if you leave the turkey to rest loosely wrapped up in tin foil for at least 20mins.

The best way to separate your turkey bits if to; remove legs and wings, separate drumstick and thigh and carve the breast.

Now you'll probably be left with some turkey which can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. You should let the turkey and stuffing cool down, slice the meat off the turkey then wrap the turkey and stuffing separately then store in the fridge for all the tasty sandwiches!

Now I'm going to finish this blog with a lovely recipe for a chestnut, sage and apple stuffing, yum yum!

Ingredients:

• 30g (1oz) butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 500g (1lb) pork sausage meat
• 60g (2oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 medium egg
• 1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 200g (7oz) packet vacuum-packed chestnuts, chopped

1. To make the stuffing: Melt butter in a pan and add the onion. Cook it over a medium heat for 5-7 mins until the onion has softened. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the onions to cool.
2. Mix together the sausage meat, breadcrumbs, egg, apple and sage, then add the onion mixture. Stir in the chestnuts, taking care that they don't get completely mashed and retain some texture.
3. Stuff the stuffing in the areas mentioned earlier on in the blog.
   

I've made this one before and it would absolutely delicious!!

Hope you've enjoyed this blog its certainly made my mouth water writing it!

Happy Christmas :-)