Tom Terrific Follow A Few Simple Rules And Your Gobbler Game Plan Will Score Big

Here’s one more thing to be thankful for tomorrow: that turkey is the designated dish of the day.

Not a pastry- and pate-encrusted beef Wellington, or a delicately balanced bouillabaisse, or a carefully crafted risotto alla Milanese.

Regardless of their culinary abilities, just about anyone can pop a turkey into the oven, wait a few hours and present family and friends with a beautifully roasted bird.

Not that there aren’t some potential pitfalls along the way. Whether you’re a Thanksgiving virgin or a veteran, it pays to take a few minutes to review your gobbler game plan.

Here are some tips for producing a perfect turkey, courtesy of Butterball, Honeysuckle White, the National Turkey Federation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Reynolds Wrap.

Thawing

Actually, as old holiday hands are well aware, you probably should have started this by now. In the refrigerator, thawing a frozen turkey takes one day for every 4-5 pounds (preferably breast side up, in a tray to catch any juices). You should plan on 1 to 1-1/2 pounds per person. If you have a big bird that’s still frozen, don’t panic. You can defrost the turkey by placing it breast side down, in its original wrapping, in cold water and allowing 30 minutes thawing time per pound. Keep the water cold by changing it every half-hour.

A fully defrosted turkey is safe to keep in the refrigerator for a day or two before cooking. Never leave a turkey on the counter overnight to defrost; room temperatures allow bacteria to grow.

You may also still be able to find fresh turkeys at the supermarket, but expect to pay about twice as much per pound.

Roasting

Take the plastic wrapping off the thawed turkey and remove the neck and giblets from the body and neck cavities. (If you forget and the plastic packaging containing the giblets melts during cooking, chemicals can penetrate the meat.)

Wash the turkey inside and out with cold water, drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Be sure to wash hands, utensils, sink and anything else that has contacted raw turkey, with hot, soapy water.

For the sake of both safety and speed, most experts recommend baking the stuffing in a separate dish. If you decide to cook it inside the turkey (which improves the stuffing’s flavor but adds fat), don’t stuff the bird until it’s ready to be cooked. Stuff both cavities loosely; use 1/2 cup stuffing per pound for turkeys weighing up to 10 pounds, or 3/4 cup for bigger birds.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the turkey, breast up, on a flat rack in a shallow pan, 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep. Brush with vegetable oil to keep the skin from drying out; for extra moisture, add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the pan. Tuck wing tips back under shoulders of the turkey. Clamp or tie legs together for more even cooking and a more attractive appearance.

Recent research has revealed that turkeys today tend to cook faster than the times recommended in older roasting charts. That’s because new breeding practices have produced turkeys with a higher percentage of white meat - which dries out when overcooked. The new recommended cooking times are as follows (for unstuffed turkeys):

8-12 pound turkey, 2-3/4-3 hours; 12-14 pounds, 3-3-3/4 hours; 14-18 pounds, 3-3/4-4-1/4 hours; 18-20 pounds, 4-1/4-4-1/2 hours; 20-24 pounds, 4-1/2-5 hours. (Stuffed turkeys will take about 1/4-1/2 hour longer.) Turkey breasts should cook 1-1/2-2-1/4 hours for 4-6 pounds, 2-1/4-3-1/4 hours for 6-8 pounds.

While those are guidelines, a meat thermometer should be your final judge. A whole turkey should be cooked until the thermometer shows an internal temperature of 180 degrees (170 degrees for turkey breasts). Thigh meat should be soft when pinched, and juices should be clear. Stuffing should reach 165 degrees, whether cooked inside the turkey or separately.

Meat thermometers should be inserted deep into the thickest part of the turkey’s thigh, but not touching bone. Don’t rely on the pop-up temperature indicators that come with the turkey; while they serve as a guide, they may be inaccurate, particularly in turkeys weighing 15 pounds or more.

When the turkey is about two-thirds done and the skin is a light golden brown, shield the breast loosely with a tent of lightweight foil to prevent overbrowning.

To save time, turkeys can also be roasted at a high oven temperature of 450 degrees if wrapped loosely in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Using this method, a 16-20 pound turkey can be cooked in about 3 hours. For browning, open and turn back the foil about 30 minutes before the end of the roasting time.

Turkeys must be cooked at 325 degrees or above. Never cook a turkey overnight at a lower temperature - that’s an invitation to food poisoning.

Carving

One of the most important considerations here comes before you even pick up a knife: letting the turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. During cooking, juices are forced away from the heat into the middle of the turkey. The waiting time allows juices to redistribute throughout the body, making for a moister (and easier to carve) bird.

Use a long, sharp knife for carving, and a carving fork to hold the meat in place. A short knife usually leads to tearing and shredding. (Electric knives may make it more difficult to follow the countours of the turkey.)

Begin by removing the drumsticks and thighs, by breaking them off or by pulling the legs away from the turkey’s body and cutting at the joint. Cut drumsticks and thighs apart and slice.

The traditional method for carving white meat from the breast: Place a knife parallel to and as close to the wing as possible and make a deep base cut horizontally into the breast. You then cut slices from the breast by carving downward, using long, smooth strokes, ending at the base cut. Repeat on the other side.

An alternate method preferred by some chefs, which makes for a fancier presentation: Using a sharp, medium-length knife, cut down along the breast bone on each side for a few inches until the knife stops. Make another cut down the front of the breast, along the wishbone. Insert your thumb between the breast bone and breast halves, gently pulling the meat away from the bone. Repeat the cutting and pulling a couple of times until each of the breast halves can be lifted away in one piece. Place on a platter, slice and serve.

Leftovers

Remember the two-hour rule: Two hours is the maximum amount of time roasted turkey, stuffing and gravy can be left out at room temperature.

Meat should be carved off the bones and any stuffing removed from the turkey before refrigerating. Don’t refrigerate a whole, cooked turkey; it could take too long to cool down to a safe temperature.

Leftover turkey should be used within three or four days, stuffing and gravy within a day or two. When frozen, turkey will keep well for at least two months and stuffing and gravy for one month.

For those of you daring enough to risk a trip to the supermarket at this late, crazed date, here are a few recipes to put a different spin on this year’s bird.

Spice-Rubbed Turkey with Garlic-Pear Puree

This recipe from Butterball is designed for a 10-12 pound turkey.

Olive oil

Spice rub:

2 tablespoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons ground sage

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Puree:

6 medium-ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all spice rub ingredients in a small bowl; store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place turkey on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle spice rub evenly and generously over turkey, patting lightly with your hands to make it stick. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted deep in the thigh reads 180 degrees, shielding breast with aluminum foil when twothirds done.

To make puree, combine pears, garlic, wine and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue simmering, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until pears are mushy and most of the wine has evaporated, about 25 minutes.

Puree pear mixture in a food processor. With the machine running, pour olive oil through the feed tube to make a smooth, creamy puree. Season with lemon juice, rosemary, salt and pepper. Hold at room temperature if using within a few hours, or refrigerate and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Let turkey rest about 20 minutes before carving. Arrange slices on serving plates and top with a generous spoonful of garlic-pear puree.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Note: Drippings may be too spicy to use for gravy.

Middle Eastern Turkey Glaze

From the National Turkey Federation.

1/4 cup red currant jelly

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

1/2 teaspoon anise seeds

Combine all ingredients in a 1-cup, microwave-safe, glass measure. Microwave at HIGH power 30-45 seconds, or until melted. Brush over turkey during the last 15-20 minutes of roasting time.

Butter-Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

For a smaller celebration, from the San Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water people.

1 (4-5 pound) turkey breast, preferably fresh

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon EACH finely chopped sage, rosemary and thyme

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Rinse turkey breast and pat dry with paper towels. Working carefully to avoid tearing skin, separate skin from turkey, leaving it attached around edges.

Combine butter, herbs, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and beat until blended. Rub evenly between the turkey and skin.

Roast turkey on a rack in a shallow pan until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 170 degrees, about 1-3/4-2 hours, basting several times with pan juices. Remove from oven and let stand 10-15 minutes before carving.

Add chicken broth to roasting pan and scrape bottom. Transfer mixture to a small saucepan and let stand a few minutes; spoon off and discard fat. Bring to a boil and continue boiling until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup. Check seasonings.

Carve turkey into thin slices and pour juices over. Serve immediately.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Where to call for turkey cooking answers Still have turkey cooking questions? Here are a few places where you might get some answers: Butterball Turkey TalkLine, (800) 323-4848: Experts personally answer questions until 6 p.m. PST today, and from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST on Thanksgiving Day. Information also available on the World Wide Web at http:/ /www.butterball.com U.S.D.A. Meat and Poultry Hotline, (800) 535-4555: Personal answers to questions between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. PST Monday through Friday (5 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving). Recorded food safety messages available at other times. Reynolds Turkey Tips Line, (800) 745-4000: Recorded thawing and roasting directions around the clock. Also available on the World Wide Web at http:/ /www.rmc.com/divs/consumer/ kitchen.html Martini & Rossi Holiday Leftover Help Line, (800) 972-2784: Personal advice on storing leftovers and using them in recipes, Friday from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. PST.