Free Range Bronze Turkey Crown
Our slow growing Traditional Free Range Bronze Turkeys arrive at the farm as day old chicks. During daylight hours they forage outside in a large paddock with fruit trees. At night, they are closed in naturally ventilated barns with plenty of space to roam and express natural behaviour. All our turkeys are fed on our homegrown cereals which are milled on the farm. The welfare of our turkeys is very important to us, they are given fresh homegrown straw each day and forage on surplus apples and pumpkins to keep them entertained. No antibiotics are fed to our turkeys but homeopathic solutions, made naturally using herbs, are added to their drinking water to keep them fit and healthy.
To provide an optimum flavoured bird that remains moist when cooked, all our turkeys are hand dry-plucked and hung for a minimum of 10 days before being prepared for the oven by us on the farm.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Before cooking your Turkey….
Your turkey needs to be removed from the fridge approx. 2 hours before cooking to allow the bird to reach room temperature.
Turkey cooking times
Weigh it with any stuffing before calculating cooking times.
Whole bird
Cooking weight inc stuffing
Initial blast at 220˚C fan200˚C/ Gas 7
Reduce to
170˚C fan 140˚C/ Gas 3
4kg (9lb)
30 min
1 ½ to 2 hrs
5kg (11lb)
40 min
2 ½ hrs
6kg (13lb)
40 min
3 hrs
7kg (15.5lb)
45 min
3 ¼ hrs
8kg (17.5lb)
45 min
3 ½ hrs
9kg (20lb)
50 min
3 ¾ hrs
10kg (22lb)
50 min
4 hrs
Finally another 30 min uncovered at 190 °C/ fan 180°C/ Gas 6 for browning. skip this step if turkey is already cooked.
Crowns
To roast your turkey crown, prepare for the oven as you would a whole bird.
The oven temperature stays constant, 190°C/ fan 180°C/ Gas 5.
Very simply, under 4kg, 20 mins per kg + 60 mins
over 4kg, 20 mins per kg + 90 mins
Check the progress 20 mins before cooking time is complete as all ovens do vary. The meat temperature should be 71°C and the juices run clear when your crown is cooked.
At G&J Barron we recommend using a meat thermometer to check when your turkey is cooked remembering that the end of the probe should be in thickest part of the meat and take several readings it sould be around 71°C on our fresh turkeys .
How to Cook your Turkey
- Preheat your oven to
220˚C( fan200˚C) / Gas 7 whole Bird
190°C (fan 180°C) / Gas 5 Crown
Stuff the neck cavity of the bird and tuck the neck skin under and secure in place with a skewer or cocktail sticks
and tie down the legs
- Line the roasting tin with foil, ensuring enough to completely enclose the turkey
- Place the turkey in the roasting tin breast side up and season with salt and pepper. Place streaky bacon over the breast of the turkey with rashes overlapping each other
- Make a tent around the turkey by encasing it in the foil, scrunching it together to prevent any hot air from escaping. Leaving enough room inside the tent for the air to circulate. The tin foil not only ensures that the inside of the turkey is cooking as quickly as the outside but also protects the turkey from drying out.
- Place turkey into the hot oven on the lower shelf for the initial blast, then continue cooking at the reduced temperature (crowns do not change temperature from chart). 30 minutes before the end of cooking time remove the turkey from the oven. Check the juices by piercing the top of the thigh with a thin skewer (we would expect the temperature to be approximately 60°C at this stage the juices should be a little pink) so rewrap and continue.
- However if the temperature reaches 71˚C and the juices are clear the turkey is cooked do not return to the oven.
- Finally fold back the foil and return to the oven for browning and the final 30 minutes cooking only if required.
NB Take care at this stage not to overcook your turkey.
- If your turkey juices are still not running clear after browning rewrap and return to oven, Check at 10 minute intervals until cooked as above. Once the turkey is cooked place on a dish and cover with foil to rest for I hour. This allows the juices to settle back into the meat before carving, the turkey will remain hot.
Turkey and crown farmhouse tip
Cook turkey so it is ready at least 1 hour before estimated eating time. Follow step 7 and cover with a couple of tea towels to keep the bird from losing heat. This will free up your oven for the potatoes, chipolatas etc. Also providing the juices ready for making a lovely gravy. In general it gives time to enjoy the day.
CARVING INSRTUCTIONS
3. Start carving the breast meat by cutting from one side at a 45 degree angle.
Cut slices approximately 6mm thick.SIZE AND SERVINGS GUIDE
WEIGHT
SERVINGS
3 kg
6 - 8 People
4 kg
8 - 12 People
5 kg
12 - 16 People
6 kg
16 -20 People
7 kg
20 - 24 People
8 kg
24 -30 People
COLLECTION / DELIVERY INFO
All orders will be collected from Pattocks Farm, Chappel, Colchester CO6 2EG on the 22nd & 23rd December 8am-5pm, or 24th December 8am-1pm.
Home delivery is available at checkout.