CHRISTMAS TURKEY 🎄🎄🎅🎅🦃🦃

CHRISTMAS TURKEY 🎄🎄🎅🎅🦃🦃

TO ROAST THE TURKEY

INGREDIENTS

1 turkey weighing 5 kg

100 g of butter

½ cup of white wine

1 tangerine (or orange)

sage branches to decorate

METHOD OF PREPARATION

To maintain the texture, it is best to defrost the turkey slowly and evenly. To do this, place the turkey still in its packaging on a baking tray and place it in the fridge. Let thaw for about 48 hours.

Preheat the oven to 220 ºC (high temperature). Set aside an old, clean dish towel. Cut the cloth in half to form a square - it will be used when drying and roasting the turkey, then discarded.

Remove the turkey (thawed) from the refrigerator and reserve the giblets to make the sauce. To alleviate the artificial flavor of the ready-made seasoning: place the turkey in a large bowl and wash under running water. Cover with clean water and soak for 10 minutes. Discard the water and repeat the same process once again - this is to remove excess seasoning from the turkey.

In a pan, melt the butter with the wine and turn off the heat.

Using a kitchen towel, dry the turkey well and transfer it to the roasting pan. Place the cloth in the pan with the wine and melted butter; Squeeze to remove excess and cover the turkey breast and wings with the cloth. Cross the thighs and tie with string or place under the skin of the turkey. Cut the tangerine in half and place one half in the cavity, leaving the other to cover it.

Place the tray in the oven and let it bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180 ºC (medium temperature) and continue roasting for another 3 hours - every 30 minutes, remove the turkey from the oven and brush with the wine and butter.

Attention: if you are going to make the sauce with homemade broth, after the first half hour in the oven you will need to put the vegetables and giblets to roast for 1 hour along with the turkey.

To check if the turkey is cooked, pierce the thigh with a small knife: if the liquid runs clean, without blood, it is done. If there is blood, it is a sign that it is still raw and should bake for a few more minutes. If the turkey skin starts to brown excessively, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.

When the turkey has finished roasting, remove the pan from the oven and, using tongs, remove and discard the cloth from the bird. If you want, decorate with sage sprigs, brush them with the remaining butter and wine and bake for another 10 minutes, just to finish browning the breast.

Transfer the turkey to a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting cold and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.