How to Prepare a Thanksgiving Hand Turkey

Thanksgiving is upon us, and over the next couple of days, friends and family may be descending upon your home - or perhaps you are the friend or family on the descent. This can be a stressful time as holiday expectations rear their weary heads and brace for intra-familial tensions.

The centerpiece of the this fourth Thursday in November, the preparation of the traditional Thanksgiving Hand Turkey, is often the source of greatest strain.


What to do with this unwieldy Hand Turkey? Everything seems so complicated. How can I impress everyone without killing myself - like I nearly did last year with the flash fryer?

If you are on a Fuss Budget, there is no reason the creation of your Hand Turkey can't be simple and sublime.

Choice of Hand Turkey is extremely important. Look at the coloring. If there is too much outside the lines, or the body is pink or has a smiley face on it, the Hand Turkey may be too young to prepare. Are the feathers too neat and detailed? Are there clever political references in the background? The Hand Turkey might be too old.

Check for a brown body and individually colored feathers.

The best way to capture your Hand Turkey is an "All of a Sudden" approach. Don't linger around ogling its sentimental beauty. Just reach out and nab it.

You will know the the Hand Turkey is ready for preparation if it has X's for eyes.
(NOTE: Do not attempt to prepare if there are dots for eyes. You will never forgive yourself.)

Now you are ready to prepare your hand Turkey. A good cutting board and sharp knife are all you need.

The first cut is the deepest, as they say, and your Hand Turkey is no exception. Blood is naturally going to leak out of its neck, but once the shock wears off you will find removal of the feathers a breeze.

After you have placed your prepped Hand Turkey in a dish and set the oven for 350 degrees, you can stuff it. Much hay has been made over what to use for stuffing - butter, sage, cornbread. Pish Posh! Have fun. Stuff your Hand Turkey with whatever tastes good to you! Make it as fancy or fanciful as you please.

After three or four hours of baking your Hand Turkey should be ready. Place it on a plate and allow the stuffing to tumble out. Garnish with some greens for an elegant finish. Look how succulent and beautiful your Hand Turkey is! Your entire family will be proud that you did it all by yourself and they will be talking about it for years to come!

Happy Thanksgiving!