Feighcullen Farm Cooking Tips

What to do with your turkey or goose when you get it home...

Your free range turkey or goose will be professionally cleaned and prepared for cooking and will be oven ready. Giblets are included.

Remove your turkey from the box/bag, take the giblets out, place them on a tray and put everything in the fridge. If you do not have space to refrigerate it all, keep the giblets in the fridge & store the turkey in a box in the coolest place possible, e.g. garage - be mindful of pets!

How to cook your free range turkey....

TAKE IT OUT OF THE FRIDGE
first thing Christmas morning -- or at least 2 hours before you're going to cook it.

PRE-HEAT YOUR OVEN
to 180˚C; Fan Oven: 160˚C; Aga: Hot

1. PLACE BREAST DOWN IN A LARGE ROASTING TIN
(or skin side up for a demi bird)

Cooking it upside down will keep the breast meat moist because the fat on the back of the bird trickles through to the breast.

Add salt & pepper to the back of the turkey and half a litre of water in the roasting tin.

Don't stuff the bird - cook your stuffing separately.

2. PUT IN THE OVEN WITH NO FOIL.

Adding foil at any stage will steam the skin and poach the meat.

3. TURN THE TURKEY OVER
halfway through our recommended cooking time - by holding the drumsticks with oven gloves.

Season the breast with salt & pepper.

4. CHECK ITS TEMPERATURE
30 minutes before the end of the cooking time - insert a thermometer half way through the thickest part of the breast.

When the needle hits 65˚it's done.

If it's not up to temperature, place back in the oven & check every 10 minutes.

5. TAKE IT OUT OF THE OVEN
and leave for at least 30 minutes (preferably 60 minutes) before you carve it - it won't go cold.

Don't be tempted to cover it.

6. MAKE THE BEST TASTING GRAVY

Just skim any excess fat from the top of the stock and scrape in all the delicious sticky bits off the bottom of the roasting tin.

Re-heat the stock in a pan. It's done!

DON'T BE AFRAID! JUST THINK OF IT AS A BIG CHICKEN.

This stuffed Feighcullen Farm Free Range Bronze Turkey had butter rubbed onto the breast and legs, followed by salt & pepper, streaky bacon added in a criss-cross fashion across the breast with a few sprigs of rosemary left on top.

This photo shows the result - a beautifully browned, moist Feighcullen Farm Free Range Bronz Turkey with crispy bacon on top.

Cooking Times...

A free range Turkey from Feighcullen Farm will cook in half the time because of the extra intramuscular fat that is not present in a standard bird.

WHOLE BIRD & CROWN

Roast at 180˚ (Gas Mark 4)

Weight Roasting Time
3kg 1 3/4 hours
4kg 2 hours
5kg 2 1/4 hours
6kg 2 1/2 hours
7-8kg 3 hours
9-11kg 3 1/4 hours

BREAST ROAST & STUFFED BREAST ROAST

Spread butter, salt and pepper over the roll.

Roast at 180˚ (Gas Mark 4) for approximately:

Weight Roasting Time1
1kg 1 hour
1 1/2kg 1 1/4 hours
2kg 1 1/2 hours

THE COOKING TIMES ABOVE ARE ONLY A GUIDE,
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO USE YOUR THERMOMETER!

Tips for carving your Feighcullen Free Range Turkey - making it a simple job!

1. WINGS OFF FIRST

Hold the wing by the tip.
Cut it at the mid section.
Then do the same again to the other wing.

2. LEGS OFF NEXT

Hold the leg by the end knuckle.
Cut through the skin between the leg and the body and twist off.
Then do the same again to the other leg.
Peel off the skin and set aside (see Step 5 below)

3. BREAST MEAT OFF

Use the tip of the knife to cut along the breast bone. Keep the knife close the bone and cut until the breast is removed.
Then do the same to the other side.
Peel off the skin and set aside (see Step 5 below)

4. SLICE IT UP

Once sliced, pour over the reheated gravy/juices from the bird.
Give it a few moments to soak up all the juices before serving.