It’s not just down to your cooking skills; turkey really is a naturally drier bird as its both large and relatively lean, which makes even cooking difficult.
The usual solutions to this problem ― spatchcocking the bird or cooking only its fattier parts, like legs ― are sensible, but feel patently un-festive.
After all, what’s more Christmassy than lifting a plump golden turkey crown from the oven, stuffed with citrus and slathered in butter?
So it’s a good thing former Great British Bake-Off judge Mary Berry has a 15-minute trick that allows you to keep your turkey crown intact while adding some much-needed moisture and flavour.
What’s the trick?
Mary Berry uses a multi-pronged approach; not only does she stick to a crown rather than a whole bird so it cooks more evenly, but she also stuffs the bird with citrus fruits, places butter under the skin, and bastes the meat every so often.
She recommends placing tinfoil on the top of the crown if you notice it browning too quickly, too. This traps the moisture in and prevents a dry top layer.
But the real secret to tasty, juicy, perfectly crisp success happens 15 minutes before she removes the poultry from the oven.
She suggests we “squeeze the juice from the remaining half-orange over the turkey” a quarter of an hour before its cook time ends.
Then we should “Return the turkey to the oven, uncovered, to allow the skin to crisp up.”
That’ll provide an extra last-minute boost of flavourful moisture, and the sugar in orange juice will caramelise into a thin, crisp layer that adds an extra crunch to the bird’s delicate skin.
Any other tips?
Yes ― you absolutely have to rest your turkey, even if it’s just a crown or legs, for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Mary Berry covers her turkey crown in tinfoil while it rests, trapping even more steam and moisture.
That helps the turkey to re-absorb its juices, ensuring it’s mouthwateringly juicy.
Gordon Ramsay also adds butter on top of his turkey breast before drizzling it with olive oil ― the more fat, the juicier the bird will be.
And for what it’s worth, I’m with Nigella Lawson on the meat’s prep ― “For me the only turkey is a brined one,” she shared on her site.
“Not only does it tenderize and add subtle spiciness, but it makes carving the turkey incredibly much easier.