How should I defrost my Christmas turkey?

It's very important to defrost turkey thoroughly before you start cooking. You can check for this by:

• looking for ice crystals in the cavity
• testing thicker parts of the turkey with a fork to see if it feels frozen

Remove the packaging and put the turkey on a large dish to hold the liquid as it thaws. If you remove the giblets and the neck it will speed up thawing. As the turkey thaws, pour the liquid away regularly so it doesn't overflow and spread bacteria. But be careful not to splash it onto other food, surfaces etc.

You can defrost turkey by putting the dish in a cool, clean place (ideally the fridge) where the turkey won't touch other foods. If it isn't possible to defrost your turkey in the fridge, you can defrost it in a cool room.

Remember that the temperature of the place where the turkey is kept will affect thawing times. If you defrost your turkey in a cool place, such as the garage, watch out for sudden extremes in temperature. If it gets very cold, this could mean the turkey won't defrost properly. Keep the turkey covered and make sure that pets and young children are kept away.

You can also defrost your turkey at room temperature, but make sure it doesn't touch or drip onto other foods (and make sure you cook it properly).

Rough thawing guide
Per kilogram allow approximately:
10 to 12 hours in a fridge at 4°C/39°F
3 to 4 hours in a cool room (below 17.5°C/60°F)
2 hours at room temperature (about 20°C/68°F)

And always remember to wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw turkey so that bacteria doesn't spread to other foods you are preparing.