TIMING THE TURKEY (DINNER)
Stress level:
Calculating the cooking time of your big bird is one thing, but timing it so that all the sides are done at around the same time can be the biggest challenge of the holiday season.
The key, according to Steve Brochu, chef at Chartier, a Québécois-style restaurant in Beaumont, Alta., is to make that bird work for you. Brochu says the turkey should rest, covered, for at least 20 minutes after you pull it from the oven. Better still, tent it with foil and let it rest for 40 minutes. “This will allow better carving, a juicier bird, and the turkey will cook up another 5-10 degrees as it rests,” Brochu says. “And it gives you time to attack the little things.”
A lot can be done in those 40 minutes: reheat the mashed potatoes you made earlier with a bit more fat (cream, butter, milk or sour cream). If you didn’t roast vegetables alongside the turkey—on their own shelf or wrapped in foil in the roasting pan—now is the time to cook them. (This is quicker if you’ve prepped the veggies in advance and stashed them in the fridge.)
“Don’t forget, this is your holiday, too,” Brochu says. “It’s easy to get stressed out entertaining, but people are going to be so involved in catching up with each other they won’t notice if you’re a couple minutes late getting the turkey carved. They’re family and friends, not paying customers—have a glass of wine and enjoy.”