No Need to Tie Turkey
Cooking the perfect Thanksgiving turkey is a daunting task, and every chef has his own tricks for crispy skin and juicy meat. As much as you bicker at the bird this year, there is one universal truth about the turkey that will save you time and effort: Tying is a scam.
Turkeys are large and relatively low in fat, making them difficult to roast perfectly. Separating the poultry into its constituent parts almost guarantees an even cooking, but most people prefer the simple preparation and aesthetics worthy of Norman Rockwell – a neatly sealed whole roast turkey. This is fine, but you should be aware that the truss is a purely aesthetic choice that further complicates an already daunting task.
Tying the legs of the turkey blocks the cavity and prevents free air circulation around the densest parts of the bird. This backfires at least three serious consequences for your Thanksgiving distribution. Firstly, if you are in the family of those who love filling for poultry, then closing the cavity only complicates the preparation of the filling. Second, the legs take longer to cook than any other part of the turkey; Attaching them to your breasts means they will take even longer, after which the breasts are likely to dry out. Third, the ligament curls up a treasure trove of skin and fat, rather than exposing it to the heat needed to make it crisp. The turkey is already low on skin and fat; under no circumstances should you leave a crisp on the table.
Old habits are hard to kick, so if less time in the oven and extra crispy skins isn’t enough to convince you, perhaps it will: no farm makes turkey the easiest, especially if you’ve salted it in dry brine . You can get it from the fridge to the counter in the oven with no extra effort. Of course, you can still tie these legs for photos – and if you’ve cut multiple pieces of skin, this is a great way to hide evidence.