How to cook your turkey safely

Don’t take shortcuts when you cook your turkey. Here are some tips.

If you buy a frozen bird, make sure it’s properly defrosted before cooking – preferably in the fridge or somewhere cool, separated from other foods.

Work out defrosting time in advance. It can take at least a couple of days for a large turkey to thaw.

Test the thicker parts of it with a fork to check if the meat feels frozen.

Pour away the liquid that comes out of the defrosting turkey regularly to stop it overflowing and spreading bacteria.

If there aren’t any defrosting instructions, use the following times to work out roughly how long it’ll take to thaw your turkey:

In a fridge at 4C (39F), allow 10 to 12 hours per kilogram.

In a cool room (below 17.5C/64F), allow around three to four hours per kilogram.

At room temperature (about 20C/68F), allow approximately two hours per kilogram.

While preparing your turkey, bacteria can spread from raw meat to worktops so keep washing your hands and everything it touches with warm soapy water.

When cooking your bird in an oven preheated to 180C (350F, gas mark 4) allow:

45 minutes per kilogram, plus 20 minutes, if your turkey is under 4.5kg.

40 minutes per kilogram if between 4.5kg and 6.5kg.

35 minutes per kilogram if more than 6.5kg. You can tell whether your turkey is cooked if:

The meat is steaming hot all the way through.

There’s no pink meat when you cut into the thickest part.

The juices run clear when you pierce the turkey or press the thigh.

Cover your turkey with foil during cooking but uncover it for the final 30 minutes and baste it every hour to brown the skin.