Dacor RSD30 Manual page 13

Holiday Turkey Tips
OTHER HELPFUL ROASTING HINTS
1. Spray roasting rack and roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. This will make cleaning up easier.
2. Rinse and pat dry the turkey with paper towels.
3. An olive oil rub helps seal in the juices and aids in browning the turkey.
Please refer to the recipes below for ideas.
4. It is best to use fresh herbs in the olive oil rub, since dried herbs may brown too quickly.
5. For added flavor, slit the skin at the bottom of the breast to create a "pocket" between the skin and the breast. Insert the
olive oil rub underneath the skin.
6. Chopped onions, carrots, celery and whole herbs may be inserted into the cavity of the bird. This helps retain moisture
while adding flavor to the turkey. These vegetables can be used to flavor homemade gravy after the turkey has reached
its safe internal temperature.
7. Never discard turkey drippings. It adds flavor to stuffing, makes a great stock for soups and stews, and makes the best
gravies and sauces to serve along with your turkey. If you must discard it, let it cool and scrape into the trash. Do not
throw it down the sink, as it may clog drains.
8. If there are not enough drippings in the bottom of the pan to make your favorite gravy, keep in mind that they are still
inside the turkey. You may need to compensate with additional stock or broth.
9. No basting is necessary when using the Pure Convection™ mode. If you are using a special sauce or marinade, however,
you may want to baste it a couple of times during the cooking process. Do this during the last hour of cooking.
10. It is better to prepare stuffing on the side, instead of stuffing the turkey. Stuffing lengthens the cooking process by
adding "insulation," making it slower to reach a safe internal temperature of 165˚F. The turkey may get done earlier and
dry out before the stuffing is cooked through. Since minimum internal temperatures cannot always be reached, we
recommend cooking a separate casserole dish of stuffing.
11. It is acceptable to cover wings and legs that seem to be browning too quickly with foil. Keep in mind that Convection will
brown a turkey quickly, which will help it to remain moist inside.
12. If you are completely covering a turkey in a roasting pan or using an oven-roasting bag, Convection is not necessary.
Standard Bake is the best mode for this type of roasting, simply because the convection air is not able to reach the turkey.
13. Instead of doing one really large bird, try roasting two medium-sized birds at once. In Dacor's oven, you can place two
15-pound turkeys side-by-side on roasting racks. Think of it: four breasts, four legs! That's enough for 30 people! Another
reason to try this is because the smaller the bird, the more tender it will be. And the time will remain the same for
one bird- 8-11 minutes per pound! Your two birds at 15 pounds each will cook in about 2 hours!
14. Timed-Delay Cooking. We do not recommend using the timed-delay function on your oven to cook your turkey. It is hard to
keep protein foods out of the Temperature Danger Zone of 40˚F – 140˚F. In using timed delay, you are allowing a raw turkey
to sit in the oven for an extended period of time, which allows bacteria to grow and a possible foodborne illness to occur.
15. Most Important Tip of All. Be sure to clean and sanitize every utensil used in preparation of the turkey. This includes
cutting boards, knives, kitchen sinks and, most importantly, your hands. Hot water and a bleach-based cleanser should be
used on utensils, and as-hot-as-you-can-stand-it water and antibacterial soap should be used on your hands.
9
T