To Choose a Turkey

A good turkey can be recognised by the whiteness of its skin and flesh, and its smooth black legs. The wattles should be a bright red, the breast broad and plump, with the end of the bone tender. Beware of those long hairs and violet-tinted flesh. Turkeys are sold in two ways: oven-ready and dressed. Oven-ready birds are usually frozen birds, drawn and cleaned, individually packaged and ready for roasting, with cleaned giblets and neck in the cavity of the bird. Dressed turkeys are not oven-ready. Sold with feathers removed, complete with head and feet, they are not drawn. Your butcher will prepare the bird for you; but ask him to weigh it again after it is drawn so that you can be certain of its weight for roasting times. Your dressed bird should weigh about a fourth more than an oven-ready bird, as you will lose a fifth to a quarter of its weight in drawing.