Chipola chef gives turkey advice

Mark Panichella, culinary arts instructor at Chipola College, offered some safety and quality tips for Thanksgiving Day cooks who want to bring a perfect turkey to the table.
First and foremost is safety.
That should be a concern from the moment the turkey goes into the refrigerator to thaw, Panichella says.
“Pay attention to everywhere that bird goes in its raw state,” he said. “From the fridge to the oven.”
When stashing it in the icebox, make sure it’s in the lowest part of the refrigerator and that there’s nothing unwrapped or ready-to-eat sitting underneath it. The juices can drip and pose a salmonella danger, he warns.
“I also put mine in a pan that’s big enough to hold the bird in its original packaging,” Panichella said. “That way, it’s fully contained while it’s in there thawing.”
Panichella also warned against the idea of thawing on a countertop at room temperature. Doing so, he said, is asking for trouble, because it creates a very bacteria-friendly environment.
After it’s thawed and ready to prepare, there are other safety concerns to think about.
After rinsing the turkey, patting it dry and placing it in the cook pan, stop and sanitize the sink to prevent bacteria and cross-contamination as you work with other foods.
Washing the sink out with plain old dishwater isn’t good enough, he said.
“Use a bleach solution in the right concentration,” he advised. “Follow the directions on the container. Cross contamination is a big issue this time of year, and most home kitchens aren’t really designed for the amount of food and all the different foods that are being prepared. Dish soap cleans but doesn’t sanitize, and sanitizing the work space is crucial. It should be used on every surface and implement the raw bird has touched before that surface is used for other foods.”
That includes cutting boards and knifes, he said.
There are two pieces of advice to consider when it comes time to cook the bird.
Panichella advises against stuffing the turkey. The time-honored tradition is falling more and more out of favor, and Panichella knows why. The stuffing acts as an insulator, he explained, making it difficult to get the bird hot enough to kill the salmonella that’s associated with turkey.
He recommends cooking the dressing in a pan, with chicken necks and giblets which have been simmered. Those will help give it the flavor lost by not being stuffed inside the bird.
Another key to safely cooking the turkey, he said, is an affordable and very important one.
Buy an inexpensive, readily available instant-read, bi-metallic stemmed thermometer you can use to check the turkey’s internal temperature. Panichella advises against relying on the pop-up device that comes with the turkey.
Insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, being careful not to touch bone. The temperature should read 170 degrees when the meat is done and safe to eat.
With those safety essentials in place, Panichella said cooks can then turn their attention to the art of a cooking a perfect turkey.
He said there are three major mistakes people have likely made if they turn out a bird that’s tough, too dry or otherwise not very tasty.
“They have the oven too hot and cook it too long, or open and close the oven door a lot,” he said.
Regardless of size, turkeys should be roasted at about 325 degrees, he said, and cooked until the internal temperature reads 170.
He offered an additional tip.
“The most tender turkey comes from being brined, or soaked in a saltwater solution after they’ve thawed,” he said.
Overnight brining is good for smaller birds, and for larger ones, up to two days.
The brine recipe is one gallon of cold water, one cup of kosher salt, and a half-cup of brown sugar to help with the curing process. Those can simply be stirred together or boiled for a smoother consistency, he said. After the mixture cools thoroughly, the bird can be completely submerged in the liquid. Keep the turkey in the refrigerator, with a plate or other flat surface on the top of the contents to ensure that the turkey stays under.
Brined turkeys, he said, cook in half the normal time, and don’t loose much moisture in the process. A brined bird also doesn’t need much salt in the post-brining seasoning process.
Make sure to truss the bird, to ensure evenness of cooking and a more pleasing appearance when the bird reaches the table.
Panichella said the rest of the process is a matter of preference. Some people wrap their turkeys in aluminum foil, or use roasting bags. Panichella said that was his preferred method until he started brining. Now, he simply roasts his turkey, sans bag, because a bag tends to create a steaming effect that doesn’t help produce a crispier texture.
Whatever roasting method is used, make sure the bird is on a rack or elevated off the pan as it cooks.
Check it periodically after about an hour, and every 15 minutes after the internal temperature reaches or gets close to 140 degrees.
Panichella also talked about some basics for those who want to fry their birds. Although he’s never done it himself, he’s familiar with some basics.
“Make sure it’s thawed out completely before you start, make sure it’s dry, and test how much oil to use,” he said. “To do this, put the turkey in the pot, fill it with water until it’s covered, then take the turkey out to see how much oil you’re going to need to use. Too much, and you could have a problem.”
Larger turkeys should be fried at about 325 degrees, the same temperature as for roasting, but slightly lower if the bird is especially small. It should come out of the oil when the internal temperature is 170 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh. He doesn’t recommending brining if you’re frying.
For those who plan to roast a breast only, rather than a whole bird, Panichella recommends larding it — placing raw bacon or strips of fatback on the thickest part of the meat as it cooks. This will help keep it moist and flavorful.