Cooking Tips

The Quast Family firmly stands by its quality turkey produce, so much so that we've been cooking and preparing it for our family for over three generations.

 

Whole Turkey and Turkey Buffe Cooking Tips


READ ALL OF THESE DIRECTIONS BEFORE YOU BEGIN


Step 1: work out the cooking time

Cooking time for whole turkey and turkey buffe: 40 minutes per kilo plus 15 minutes approx for browning. For example: a turkey weighing 5.45kgs:
5.45 x 40 = 218 minutes = 3.63 hours = 3 hours 37 minutes.
This time can be rounded up or down depending on how the cooking is going. 
Make sure you allow for preparation, cooking and browning time.


Step 2: prepare the pan

Place a cake cooling rack in the baking pan and then place 3 generous strips of aluminium foil across the pan. The foil needs to be long enough to wrap around the bird easily with room to fold securely at the top.


Step 3: prepare the turkey

Use your favourite stuffing to firmly fill both ends of the bird.
Place the bird in the centre of the foil and rub all over the skin with oil.
Fold in the ends of the foil and then bring the longer pieces up to meet at the top.
Scrunch these over and down to seal the turkey inside.


Step 4: bake the bird

The oven has been heated to 160 degrees Celsius and the oven rack is in its lowest position. Ideally the oven setting will be on bake, not fan bake. If your oven won’t give you a choice, lower the temperature by at least 10 degrees Celsius.
Place the pan on the oven rack and slide in making sure that the foil is sitting freely.
Add water to the baking pan. It must not touch the foil.
Cook for the predetermined time.


Step 5: browning the turkey 

Take the bird from the oven and very carefully unwrap the foil – don’t give yourself a steam burn. Increase the oven temperature to 200 degrees Celsius and switch to fan bake if possible. When the foil has been retracted as far as possible, return the turkey to the oven.
Cook for a further 15 minutes or until brown. Make sure that the bird is not browning too quickly in places eg. Leg tips, breast bone. If you feel this is happening, cover with oil coated foil to protect during the final stages.


Step 6:  enjoy your moist, ‘melt in your mouth’ Quast Turkey.

Note: as all ovens differ please be aware of the turkey during the cooking process and make any necessary timing adjustments. Turkeys are very different to chickens in every respect, especially cooking. Turkeys MUST be cooked at a gentle temperature for an extended time for the white meat to remain incredibly moist and tender.