The turkey cooking mistake you should always avoid if you don't want dry meat

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Cooking a turkey for Christmas dinner is no easy feat, with timings being notoriously challenging to juggle when preparing the bird plus all the trimmings.While carrots and parsnips are pretty hard to get wrong, one thing you don't want is to have dry turkey meat - something that so often happens.To ensure that your turkey is succulent, full of flavour and moist, an expert chef says there is one mistake you should avoid on Christmas Day - and that's overcooking.Marc Williams, Cookery School Director at the five-star hotel The Grand, York, has suggested a golden rule to follow on Christmas Day that will ensure a beautifully roasted bird on the table without a problem.He says the key to not getting a dry, overcooked bird is to not be afraid to let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

This gives the turkey time to reabsorb the juices, otherwise they will be released when it's carved up causing the meat to go dry."When it comes to cooking the turkey, it’s all about the internal temperature.

It doesn’t matter if you brine it, baste it or massage it with butter, if you overcook it then it will be dry," Marc warned."Take it to 74C, let it rest for at least a quarter of the cooking time and it will be fantastic every time.”He added: "The turkey should be resting for 30 minutes at least so you have plenty of time to get things back through the oven.”The chef added that it's important to remain calm when tasked with Christmas dinner, as most of the trimmings can be prepped in advance.He said: "Remember to relax, it's just a big Sunday lunch.

Take it easy and stop trying to get everything ready on Christmas morning. Make a prep list of roughly how you’d like to plan the day and do everything you can in advance. "Most of the things I