Cooking Tips from Snapfinger Catering - The Perfect Turkey

Want to have a "self-basting" turkey that looks and tastes great when you serve it? Check out this tip from Chef Dale at Bon Appetit Caterers in Orlando, Florida.

Our Thanksgiving feasts challenge our culinary skills in a professional kitchen as well our home kitchens.  One less thing to do is one less thing to forget to do!

During the cooking frenzy, it’s easy to overlook basting the center of attraction, Tom the Turkey!  We all want the ooh’s and ah’s when we proudly strut the golden-skinned bird to the wide-eyed family and friends with forks and knives in hand, sitting around our beautifully decorated dining table.  But then you open the oven and there's your beige turkey!

Here's what I do so the bird bastes itself.  First, warm some chicken stock and butter until melted.  Soak a large enough piece of cheesecloth in the prepared stock and snugly drape the cloth over your prepared bird, letting enough drape in the bottom of your roasting pan.  The cloth will continually soak up the juices during the baking process and you won't have to worry about basting at all!  Carefully peel the cloth to reveal that perfectly golden skin you'll be proud of.

Also, consider rubbing flavored butters and fresh herbs under the skin as well as the outside of the skin.  I have used:

Maple Butter
Southwestern Chipotle Butter
Citrus Butter
Herb Butter

Get creative and use create your own flavorful butter recipe!