Your Thanksgiving Centerpiece

Expert Tips for Preparing a Turkey

Thanksgiving dinner: It’s a meal rich in family tradition and fall harvest flavors. The focal point, of course, is the turkey.

"When prepared correctly, Thanksgiving turkey is juicy and succulent, under crisp, golden-brown skin."

There are a lot of myths about how difficult it is to achieve a great turkey, but at Citarella, we know that everyone—from Thanksgiving novices to seasoned home-cooks—can make culinary magic this holiday with our simple, time-honored process, which produces a show-stopping turkey every time.

Know How Much to Buy
Before you start work on perfecting your turkey centerpiece, there's the question of what size turkey to buy. Because Thanksgiving dinner is a feast, we believe it’s always a good idea to provide about a pound and a half of meat per person. This will give you enough turkey for an abundant, celebratory dinner with room to spare in case of last-minute RSVPs, or to save for those delicious next-day sandwiches. Now that you know the right size, you'll need to select the right kind of turkey for you and your guests. Read our guide, Know Your Turkey, for what criteria we focus on at Citarella.

How to Roast a Turkey to Perfection
We believe in a timeless, straightforward approach: start with the freshest ingredients, keep it simple, and stay vigilant to avoid dryness. Follow these simple steps to ensure that your Thanksgiving centerpiece is juicy and has a nicely crispened skin:

1. Prepare the Turkey

Remove the neck, heart, gizzards, and liver from inside the turkey and rinse it inside and out with cold water. Drain thoroughly.

2. Season the Turkey

Season inside and out with salt and pepper. For additional flavor, place a bouquet of aromatic herbs inside the turkey.

3. Add Stock and Tent

Lay the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and add 1-2 cups of chicken stock to the bottom of the pan. Make a tent out of aluminum foil, cover it, and place it into a preheated oven.

4. Roast the Turkey

Roast in a preheated, 375-degree oven for approximately 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey, 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey. Baste every 20 minutes. Removing the aluminum foil tent for the last 30 minutes of cook time to achieve the crisp, brown skin. Test the turkey for doneness by taking the internal temperature with a thermometer: insert the thermometer into the innermost part of the thigh and wing, and the thickest part of the breast. When the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s fully cooked.

5. Rest the Turkey

After you remove the turkey from the oven, it’s important to allow it to rest. You may think serving it hot is better, but if you give the turkey the time it needs, you're going to ensure a more flavorful and juicier bird. The length of the resting period will vary based on size, but most turkeys should sit for 45 minutes to an hour before they are carved. While the turkey rests, you can finish preparing sides. If you chose to cook stuffing inside your turkey, now is the time to move it to an oven-safe baking dish. It should be heated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving to meet food safety standards, after having been in the cavity of the raw bird.

Next, follow our simple steps for carving the turkey (see below):

How to Carve a Turkey Like a Pro
First, gather your carving tools. Traditionally, these include a sharp, pointed, slicing knife and a long-handled carving fork. Here are our simple steps for an expertly carved bird from Charlie, our head butcher.

1. Remove the Legs

Prevent damage to the meat by angling the tip of the knife against the bone. Carefully make a vertical cut into the skin between the bottom of the breast and the thigh, then press down on the leg with your carving fork to expose the joint between the thigh and hip bones. You don’t need to cut through the bones themselves, just the tendon that holds the bones together. Once the leg is removed, place it on your cutting board, skin-side down, and find the joint between the thigh and the drumstick. Cut through the joint and separate the two pieces. Then, using the tip of your knife, cut down the center of the thigh to expose the bone. Make small cuts along the bone on both sides and separate the meat from the bone. Repeat the process with the other leg. Finally, turn the two thighs skin-side up on your cutting board and cut slices against the grain, from top to bottom. Place the slices on your warm platter along with the drumsticks.

2. Slice the Breast

Carving turkey breast after it's been detached from the turkey tends to be easier, but you can opt for the more dramatic presentation of carving at the table, with the breast attached. If you choose the latter method, simply start at the bottom of the breast, cutting slices against the grain until you reach the top. Repeat on the other side of the breast. To detach and carve instead, find the breastbone and cut down to the immediate left. Hold the knife at an angle against the rib cage, and use long, shallow cuts to separate the meat from the bone. When the breast is completely removed, place it on your cutting board and slice against the grain. Repeat with the other side of the breast, cutting along the right side of the breast bone to remove the meat. Add the sliced turkey breast to your serving platter.

3. Remove the Wings

Hold the wings away from the body to make the joints more visible. Slice through the tendon holding the joint, as you did with the turkey legs. Place the wing on your cutting board and bend it back to expose the middle joint. Cut through the joint to separate the two halves. Repeat with the remaining wing and add to your serving platter. Thanksgiving dinner is a meal we remember all year long—the preparation, the bustle, the enticing aromas wafting from the kitchen morning to night. Most importantly, we look forward to the joy of being surrounded by our loved.