Successfully Cooking TURKEY

The wild turkey is native to and was domesticated in Mexico and brought to Europe in the 16th century. Turkeys are believed to have been brought to Britain in 1526 by Yorkshireman William Strickland. He acquired six turkeys from American Indian traders and sold them for tuppence in Bristol. The first English King to enjoy turkey was Henry VIII, but it was Edward VII made turkey eating fashionable at Christmas.

The male turkey is called a tom and the female turkey is called a hen. Baby turkeys are called poults and are tan and brown. For cooking purposes a 16 week old turkey is called a fryer, a five to seven month old turkey is called a young roaster and a yearling is a year old. Any turkey 15 months or older is called mature. Turkey eggs hatch in 28 days, they are tan with brown specks and are larger than chicken eggs. A large group of turkeys is called a flock. The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.

Turkey meat is low in fat and high in protein. It has more protein than chicken or beef, whereas white meat has fewer calories and less fat than dark meat. There is usually about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat on a cooked turkey. It has been reported to be the number 4 protein choice for American consumers behind chicken, beef and pork.

Each Thanksgiving forty-five million turkeys are eaten, twenty-two million turkeys are eaten each Christmas and nineteen million turkeys are eaten each Easter. The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger.

Different parts of the turkey have different names, these are:

• Gizzard: the part of a bird's stomach that contains tiny stones. It helps them grind up food for digestion. It can also be cooked.
• Carbuncle: the brightly colored growths on the throat region.
• Snood: the flap of skin that hangs over the turkey's beak.
• Wattle: the flap of skin under the turkey's chin.

The carbuncle, snood and wattle all turn bright red when the turkey is upset or during courtship.