Secrets to a terrific turkey? Bacon, butter and brine

One Christmas at the Westin Hotel in Edmonton, Chef Ross Munro worked on an order for 600 turkeys.

It was part of the hotel's annual "reserve a bird" holiday offer, and most of the staff were involved in preparing and delivering, he said.

Nowadays, Munro specializes more in fish and shellfish at his restaurant, the Red Door Oyster Co. in Stanley Bridge, P.E.I.

But he still has a few tips up his sleeve on how to cook a turkey, which he shared with CBC Mainstreet this week, starting with cooking it fresh.

"Anything with me, preference is always fresh. Is it realistic sometimes for a budget or skills set, not always," he said.

"But you know, when you are presented the opportunity with having a fresh product always go with fresh first."

Using bacon for salt and seasoning

When it comes to seasoning, Munro said there are three ways to add that extra kick for the taste buds.

Turkeys don't have much fat under their skin, so he layers sliced pancetta or bacon on top of the skin. This gives it a smoky and salty taste.

Adding the bacon before the bird goes into the oven also allows it to brown and become part of the skin.

"You can add a little bit of salt on top of that because it will help crisp it when you eventually take the foil off," he said.

"Some cracked black and white pepper maybe on top."

Adding butter to the skin

Another option to season a turkey is to add a layer of herb or thyme butter under the skin.

"There is nothing wrong with adding those fresh herbs into that butter but really getting up under the skin and allowing that fat to get between the skin and the muscle of the meat," he said.

 After that, the bird should go into the roasting pan.

"Start it covered with some stock in the bottom of your roasting pan," he said. "It helps steam the meat too."

Brining the meat

Another option, which is for more adventurous cooks, is brining the meat.

Munro likes to submerge his turkey in a flavoured liquid for 24 hours before cooking it.

The brine can be made from water or stock with fresh thyme, some savoury shallots, a bit of garlic, whole peppercorns and bay leaves. 

"You bring that to a simmer or a boil, take it off the heat, cool it and then you add about four times the volume of water you started with and then you submerge your turkey in there as well," he said.

"It is time consuming but so worth it. When you can brine a turkey, it really does take it to the next level."

The perfect cooking time

While most people follow a specific time for cooking the bird, Munro suggests that people buy a thermometer and finish the bird at 170 Fahrenheit.

The turkey can be taken out of the oven earlier as long as it is given time to rest. During that time, the heat is still in the carcass, and will continue to cook the meat, he said.

"That finish cooking process allows it to cook properly but not be overdone and still be incredibly moist," he said.