Roast turkey crown

You can freeze any leftover roast turkey meat, well wrapped, for up to a month.

How long to defrost a turkey crown?

If you have brought a frozen turkey crown, you will need to defrost it in the fridge for at least 24 hours, and longer if it is over 2kg. Place on a tray to catch any juices. Once it is fully defrosted, it can stay in the fridge for up to a day longer if necessary. Remove any packaging, pat dry with kitchen paper if necessary and leave at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before roasting.

How long should a turkey crown rest before carving?

Once your turkey crown is cooked, lift carefully out of the tin and place on a board (ideally with a groove to catch the juices) or warmed serving platter. Cover with kitchen foil and then a couple of dry tea towels and leave to rest for 30–40 minutes. This will allow the juices to settle back into the meat and will help keep the turkey warm until you are ready to carve.

Any juices that collect beneath the turkey can be added to the gravy. As soon as the turkey is carved and served, allow any remaining meat to cool completely.

Should turkey crown be at room temperature before cooking?

Allow your turkey to spend 30–60 minutes at room temperature before roasting. This will help it cook more evenly and efficiently.

Can I cook a turkey crown from frozen?

Certain turkey products, such as crowns and breasts can be cooked from frozen – which saves fridge space over the festive period. Follow pack instructions carefully and ensure the turkey is completely cooked before serving. It’s easy to undercook a turkey from frozen.

How do you roast a turkey without drying it out?

The secret to a moist turkey is to protect the breast and not to overcook it. Turkey breast is a lean meat and can dry out if it isn’t protected from the intense heat of an oven.

Smaller turkey crowns come from younger birds and have less fat under the skin too, so you need to be particularly careful with them. Place in a roasting tin that they fit pretty snugly in – some turkey crowns come in a foil tin. The moisture that collects under the crowns as they cook helps keep them moist. In a large tin, this can evaporate off quickly.

It’s always best to cover the breasts with something fatty (like butter, as is used in this recipe, or bacon). Covering with oiled non-stick baking paper and kitchen foil for the majority of the cooking time also helps. Ideally, cover the turkey and its tin with the paper and foil, to make a tent in which the moisture remains, rather than just covering the turkey itself. Only remove the paper and foil for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the bacon and skin to brown. You could even place on top of a bed of sliced onion and carrots, or orange quarters to create extra moisture – and help make a super-tasty gravy afterwards.

How long does it take to roast a turkey crown?

Depending on the weight, the cooking time of turkey crowns will vary. There will be guidelines on the packaging or you can use our roasting calculator . A digital food thermometer is useful for checking the turkey is cooked before it overcooks. Push the probe into the thickest part of the breast in a couple of places. It should reach 75C. The time taken for the last 10 degrees can be very short, so if it’s close when you test, don’t leave for too long before testing again. Resting turkey can also rise in temperature, so if you are happy that your turkey will hold at 70C for 2 minutes, you could take it out of the oven a little earlier. If you don’t have a digital thermometer, you can test that the bird is cooked by cutting into the thickest part of the breast and checking that none of the meat is pink and any juices run clear. (Bear in mind that bacon will sometimes make turkey meat look a little pink close to the surface.)

Can you cook turkey the day before?

If you know that your oven is going to be working flat out on Christmas Day and space is at a premium, you could consider cooking the turkey the day before. Roast according to the recipe then leave to rest and cool, uncovered, for around an hour. Carve the turkey and place the slices in a shallow ovenproof dish. Cover and chill until 30 minutes before serving. Make the gravy, cool and cover and chill.

Roughly 45 minutes before serving, drizzle the turkey with gravy then cover tightly in kitchen foil and reheat in the oven at around 190C/180C Fan/Gas 5, or until piping hot. You may need to turn the slices over halfway through, depending on how much you are reheating.

Alternatively, you could reheat the turkey in the microwave with some gravy to help keep it moist. This is best done in batches on a covered microwavable plate, turning regularly. Turkey can also be reheated on a covered heat-proof plate above a pan of simmering water, or in a steamer.

Benefits of turkey crown versus turkey breast?

Turkey crowns can look more impressive served at the table and are a good choice if your family prefers the white meat. Turkey breasts are good for stuffing and can come from older birds, which means they are more likely to have a better flavour and a little more fat under the skin which will help them brown beautifully. The cavity under a turkey crown means it will cook more quickly, but it is also more likely to dry out.