The small paper frills placed on the end of turkey legs serve as mostly an aesthetically pleasing accessory in order to cover up the bones that stick out at the end. In addition to giving your turkey a complete and professional appearance, the paper frills also help keep your fingers cool if you are eating the leg by the bone. Paper turkey frills can be purchased in most cooking goods stores or made by hand.
Step 1
Remove all of the giblets from the inside of the turkey, rinse off the entire bird including the chest cavity with cool running water, and pat dry using paper towels.
Step 2
Stuff the bird if desired with about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of stuffing per lb. of turkey meat.
Step 3
Brush the entire bird in oil or melted butter using the basting brush. If you decided to stuff your turkey, tie the bird's legs together using cooking string in order to keep all the stuffing inside while the bird cooks.
Step 4
Place the rack inside of the roasting pan and place the turkey on the rack. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey's thigh, pointed towards the body and away from the bone.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the oven is ready, place the turkey inside and allow it to cook according to the weight of the turkey. For instance, a stuffed 10 to 18 lb. turkey needs to cook for between 3 hours and 45 minutes to 4.5 hours, while an 18 to 20 lb. stuffed turkey needs to cook closer to 5 hours.
Step 6
Check the meat thermometer after your turkey has cooked for the allotted time. The turkey is done cooking when the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 7
Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to cool once it has finished cooking. Allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. Once the bird has cooled and the juices have been redistributed throughout the bird, place the paper leg covers over the leg bones and serve.
Things You'll Need
- Turkey
- Paper towels
- Stuffing and seasonings
- Oven
- Roasting pan with rack
- Butter or oil
- Basting brush
- Cooking string
- Roasting pan and rack
- Meat thermometer
- Paper turkey leg frills
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