Roasting Tips
All ovens vary. We recommend using a meat thermometer for best results.
TURKEY
For a moist and flavorful turkey, cut up 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 2 stalks of celery and place on the bottom of the roasting pan. Add a few sprigs of thyme and parsley. Place turkey in roasting pan breast side up and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 inches of water to the pan and tent with foil. Roast for 15 minutes per pound. For the last 15 minutes, remove foil. Test with a meat thermometer (should read about 165°F when the turkey is done). You should begin checking the bird one hour before the end of your roasting time. Our turkeys often cook faster than expected due to their freshness. Use the remaining liquid in the pan for gravy or stuffing.
Our turkey breasts cook best breast side down. Cook for approximately 1/3 of the total cooking time then turn breast side up for the remainder of the time. Test with a meat thermometer 25 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
GOOSE
A typical 12lb goose will cook in under 3 hours. You should roast the goose breast side up on a rack in a shallow pan at 325°F. It will be necessary to drain the fat from the pan once or twice during the cooking period. We recommend fruit stuffing with goose, prepared separately so that it doesn’t absorb all of the fat from the goose.
DUCK
With our fresh ducks, we recommend cutting your duck in half before roasting, but it may also be cut into quarters or cooked whole. Keep foil on the breast meat for the first half of the cooking time to prevent meat from drying out. We also suggest not stuffing the duck, but rather serving it with wild rice.
CAPON
Fresh capons are wonderful for people who don’t like turkey, or if you want to offer a different white meat. They are tender, flavorful roasting chickens with lots of extra breast meat.
STUFFING
Before you stuff your bird wash it thoroughly with cold water. Stuff the bird just before roasting. DO NOT stuff the bird the day or evening before, as this can promote bacterial growth. If you want to save time, mix your dry ingredients ahead of time, then mix with wet ingredients just prior to stuffing.
NOTE: Always remove all the stuffing from the cooked bird before refrigerating. Stuffing may also be cooked separately from your turkey. Simply mix the ingredients and add approximately 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth. Place in oven at 300°F or cook on stove top at a low temperature.
