Chef shares ‘most important part’ of cooking a turkey that keeps meat ‘moist’ – not dry

Cooking a large to feed the family at Christmas can often feel like a momentous task.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro who has managed the cooking for years, or a novice attempting the indulgent dinner for the first time this year, the task can be stressful.

To reduce some of the stress, Kevin Bonello, executive head chef at Legacy, part of five-star hotel The Grand, York, has shared his advice for perfecting the turkey.

He says “the most important” part of cooking a turkey on Christmas Day isn’t fancy additions or seasoning, it’s the resting.

The chef said: “Resting is the most important part when cooking turkey as it allows all the juices to be absorbed and keeps the meat moist.”

He added that simplicity is key for a perfect turkey. To prevent serving a dry turkey roast, or worse, an undercooked one, avoid complicated recipes.

“I always cook turkey as a crown, with a parsley and sage butter, spread between the skin and the breast meat,” says Kevin.

“The key with turkey is to check the core temperature has reached 75°C to ensure the meat is fully cooked through.

“Once the bird is cooked, cover it with aluminium foil and allow it to rest.

“I like to rest the crown for half the cooking time, so if you are cooking it for two hours, allow the meat to rest for at least one hour before carving.”

How to carve a turkey

To carve a turkey, you should remove the wings first before slicing down where the legs meet the body, and take the legs off in one piece.

Feel along the turkey’s backbone and slice down the side of it, to remove the whole breast in a single piece. Take the breast off the other side in one piece.

Remove any brown meat from the underside before carving slices off the breast meat, ready to serve. Transfer all the meat to a plate and pour over a little gravy so it doesn’t dry out.