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| {{subpages}} | | {{CallForConstables|this pages has the history -- therefore it should best be merged under the non-American page|[[User:Peter Schmitt|Peter Schmitt]] 23:49, 18 October 2010 (UTC)}}</noinclude> |
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| {{Image|Turkey baster in use.jpg|left|150px|A turkey being basted during cooking in a turkey roaster.}}
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| '''Roast turkey'''—the preparation of the whole bird as a meal for a large group of people—has a long tradition in North America
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| that dates back to the time when wild turkeys were shot to be roasted on the campfire and continues to modern times
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| when a [[domestic turkey|domesticated turkey]] is prepared in the oven to be [[turkey dinner|served]] at a family gathering, typically on [[Thanksgiving]] and also on [[Christmas Day]]. Turkeys, which originated in the Americas, also have a long tradition of being prepared in European countries such as England and France for festive occasions. Because of the large size of the typical turkey, it is almost always roasted whole rather than being cut into separate pieces for other types of preparation, as for the literally thousands of recipes for [[chicken]] for instance.
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| Because of [[selective breeding|industrial breeding]] processes, a medium-sized turkey of today would have been considered a very large turkey 50 years ago. Recipes for roast turkey dating to the mid-20th century often call for turkeys weighing between six and eight pounds. The 1961 edition of the ''Larousse Gastronomique'', for instance, has several recipes with directions such as: "Stuff a medium-sized turkey (5 pounds) with best sausage meat...."<ref>''Larousse Gastronomique'', first English edition, Paul Hamlyn, London, 1961, page 978</ref>
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| Today a separate, boned turkey breast can be purchased that typically weighs the same amount, while whole turkeys weighing 20 to 30 pounds are easily found. Because of the industrialization of today's typical turkey, they have become increasingly difficult to roast satisfactorily: even the most talented home cooks find it difficult to roast a turkey so that the quick-cooking breast meat remains moist and tender while, at the same time, the thighs are thoroughly cooked.
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| ==Roasting methods==
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| Many techniques and methods have been developed and proposed for the apparently simple roasting of a single bird: there are high-temperature recipes; very low-temperature recipes; mixed-temperature recipes; recipes in which the bird is cooked until the breast meat reaches a certain temperature and is then removed and kept apart while the rest of the turkey continues to cook; recipes in which the breast is covered with slices of salt pork; recipes in which the breast is draped with buttered [[cheesecloth]]; recipes in which the bird is covered with [[aluminum foil]] throughout most of its cooking; recipes in which the bird is turned in various ways throughout its cooking; and recipes in which it is cooked in a covered [[turkey roaster]] rather than in just the oven alone.
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| ==Stuffing and additional flavorings==
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| There are also thousands of recipes for various kinds of stuffing that can be cooked inside the roasting turkey. Each country has its own traditions for typical stuffing; although most of them involve breadcrumbs in one form or another, ingredients as exotic as oysters and chestnuts can also be found. It is opera legend that [[Enrico Caruso]] was served a spaghetti-stuffed turkey for his first Thanksgiving in the United States.
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| Some 1890 advice concerning flavoring comes from Mrs. Stephen J. Field's ''Statesmen's Dishes and How to Cook Them'':
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| <blockquote>The turkey should be cooped up and fed some time before Christmas. Three days before it is slaughtered, it should have an English walnut forced down its throat three times a day, and a glass of sherry once a day. The meat will be deliciously tender, and have a fine nutty flavor.<ref>''The American Heritage Cookbook and Illustrated History of American Eating & Drinking'', Vol. 2, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1964, page 483</ref></blockquote>
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| Another lavish embellishment for flavoring, one that today would cost many hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars, comes from a 1961 edition of the ''Larousse Gastronomique'' in its recipe for ''truffled turkey'':
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| <blockquote>Discriminating gourmets believe that to achieve the best results, a truffled bird should be stuffed with [[truffle]]s four or five days before cooking. After the truffles have fulfilled their function in flavoring the bird, they are removed and discarded and the bird is stuffed afresh with more truffles mixed with pork fat or raw ''foie gras'', and then cooked.<ref>''Larousse Gastronomique'', first English edition, Paul Hamlyn, London, 1961, page 978</ref></blockquote>
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| ==An alternative cooking method==
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| The most popular innovation in recent years has been to submerse the entire bird in hot oil in a specially designed [[turkey deep-fryer]] rather than to roast it. Since this requires a large pot and dedicated high-heat source, this must be prepared outdoors for safety reasons. Deep-fat frying turkey is considered unsafe by the National Fire Protection Association. <ref name="National Fire Protection Association">{{cite web |url=http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=1700&itemID=41092&URL=Safety%20Information/For%20consumers/Causes/Cooking/Turkey%20fryers |title=Turkey fryers |accessdate=2010-10-17}}</ref>
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| ==International methods for roast turkey==
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| In Germany turkey is roasted using butter, flour, salt and pepper.<ref name="German Cookery">{{cite book |title=German Cookery (Mein Kochbuch) |pages=48–48 |author=Elizabeth Schuler |isbn=0-517-50663-7 |year=1983}}</ref>. The Italians use giblets, pancetta, pomegranates, salt, pepper, olive oil, rosemary, unsalted butter and olive oil to roast turkey depending on the region and recipe used.<ref name="La Cucina">{{cite book |title=La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy (La Cucina del Bel Paese) |pages=657–658 |isbn=978-0-8478-3147-0 |year=2009}}</ref> The British have been cooking turkey since the time of King Henry VIII. Some modern roast turkey recipes include preparing the roast turkey with apples, garlic, champagne, parsley, thyme and sage.<ref name="Allrecipesco.uk">{{cite web |url=http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/6278/world-s-best-roast-turkey.aspx |title=World's Best Roast Turkey |accessdate=2010-10-17}}</ref>
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| <ref name="Allrecipesco.uk">{{cite web |url=http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/2184/rosemary-roast-turkey.aspx |title=Rosemary Roast Turkey |accessdate=2010-10-17}}</ref>
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| <ref name="FoodNetworkco.UK">{{cite web |url=http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/recipes/roast-turkey.html |title=Classic Roast Turkey |accessdate=2010-10-17}}</ref>
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| The Irish prepare roast turkey by including such ingredients as onion, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, sage, port, red currant jelly, sausage, eggs and pork.<ref name="Little Shamrocks.com: Food, Recipes and Travel Adventures from the Emerald Isle">{{cite web |url=http://www.littleshamrocks.com/Irish-Entree-Recipes.html#IrishRoastTurkey |title=Irish Roast Turkey with Chestnut and Prune Stuffing |accessdate=2010-10-17}}</ref>
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| <ref name="About.com British & Irish Food">{{cite web |url=http://britishfood.about.com/od/christmasrecipes/r/roastturkey.htm |title=Roast Turkey with Sage and Onion Stuffing Recipe |accessdate=2010-10-17}}</ref>
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| <ref name="Good Food Channel">{{cite web |url=http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/516919 |title=Traditional roast turkey with pork, sage and onion stuffing |accessdate=2010-10-17 |work=Delia Smith's Christmas Collection}}</ref>
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| In France some cooks roast the turkey in a covered roasting pan that has a bit of liquid added to the bottom of the pan. In the book ''Glorious French Cooking'', author James Peterson's recipe roasts the turkey with buttered aluminum foil covering the turkey. Peterson's recipe suggests adding liquid to the bottom of the roasting pan, if the meat juices start to burn. French recipes may use butter, stock, port, giblets, streaky bacon, and sausage, but a primary ingredient, particularly around Christmas or New Years, is chestnuts, either cooked around the bird or as part of the stuffing. A French-style recipe from Canada uses onions, pepper, thyme, sage, carrots, onions, sage, orange juice and maple syrup.<ref name="Cookit Simply">{{cite web |url=http://www.cookitsimply.com/recipe-0010-01545s4.html |title=French roast turkey |accessdate=2010-10-17}}</ref>
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| <ref name="About.com: French Food">{{cite web |url=http://frenchfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/mapleojturkey.htm |title=Roasted Maple Orange-Glazed Turkey |accessdate=2010-10-17}}</ref><ref name="Glorious French Food">{{cite book |title=Glorious French Food |pages=358–360 |author=James Peterson |isbn=978-0471442769 |year=2002 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons}}</ref>Mexican roast turkey uses allspice, raisins, parsley, potatoes, onion, raisins, oranges, chilies and olives.<ref name="Pepperfool: Recipes: Mexican">{{cite web |url=http://www.pepperfool.com/recipes/mexican/chihuahua_turkey.html |title=Chihuahua-Style Roast Turkey |accessdate=2010-10-17}}</ref>
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| <ref name="Saveur">{{cite web |url=http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Chile-Rubbed-Roast-Turkey |title=Chile-Rubbed Roast Turkey |accessdate=2010-10-17}}</ref>
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| ==A popular new development==
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| {{Image|Turducken Roasted.jpg|left|150px|A fully roasted turducken.}}
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| {{Image|Turducken Roasted and Carved.jpg|right|150px|A turducken cut in two while being carved for serving.}}
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| Beginning, probably, in the 1990s, a new recipe for roast turkey called ''turducken'' has gained popularity in the United States. Its precise origins are in question, with several sources in Louisiana claiming to be the originator, but the method is always the same. A turkey is split, boned, and laid flat. It is then seasoned and perhaps covered with a flat layer of stuffing. A boned, split duck is then placed on the stuffing and more seasonings and stuffing added. Finally a boned, split chicken is placed on the duck's stuffing. Even more stuffing may now be added. Finally, the entire creation is pulled back together and bound with twine so that it resembles an ordinary, if inordinately fat, turkey. The turducken is then roasted by one method or another. At first a specialty-order item from a few select sources, turduckens are now widely available throughout the United States at holiday-time. Smaller, separate breasts of turducken are also available, both fresh and frozen. Many cultures, of course, going back thousands of years, have stuffed one fowl (or animal) with another, so the turducken is by no means a new culinary invention. In this particular guise, however, it is relatively recent.<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/20/dining/turkey-finds-its-inner-duck-and-chicken.html |title=Turkey Finds Its Inner Duck (and Chicken) |accessdate=2010-10-17}}</ref>
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist}}
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