Turkey Crown

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Crown of Turkey

A Turkey Crown is basically the top part of the turkey, but there are many variations. Some places sell what they call boneless Turkey Crowns, which are actually Saddle of Turkey (see separate entry), but actual Turkey Crowns are sold bone-in in order to retain the natural look of a cooked turkey when it is cooked. Some butchers define a Turkey Crown as a turkey with just the legs removed, but most often all the undercarriage has been cut away as well. Some come stuffed.

The advantage of a Turkey Crown over a whole turkey is that it is quicker to cook, and easier to carve. People who are fed up with always having turkey leftovers also like that a crown has less meat than a whole turkey.

The downside to Turkey Crowns is that they can be far more expensive than buying a whole bird, sometimes double the price.

A Turkey Crown between 6 1/2 and 8 1/2 pounds (3 and 4 kg) will serve 8 people.

Turkey Crowns have been very popular in Britain for some time, but are only now becoming popular in America.

Cooking Tips
You may wish to wrap the Turkey Crown in tin foil for the first half of the cooking time to help keep the meat moist. Wrap it so that the join is at the top of the bird, so that you can easily open it up for the second half of the cooking for browning. Cook at 350 F (175 C). If covered, allow 18 minutes per pound / 450g. If uncovered, allow 15 minutes per pound / 450g. When done, the temperature should be 170 F (77 C) in the deepest part of the meat. Allow to rest 30 minutes, covered, outside the oven when done before serving.

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