Many new turkey hunters are stumped when it comes to cleaning the turkey. Actually, they are just like any other food, such as ducks, geese, chickens or pheasants. There are two main methods of cleaning turkeys--plucking and skinning.

You pluck a turkey the same way you would pluck a chicken or any other fowl. The advantage of plucking is that you leave the skin on; this helps retain moisture in the meat during cooking. The disadvantage is that it takes more time than skinning, and it's messier.

Skinning a turkey is faster and cleaner, but in order to keep the meat moist, you need to wrap the turkey in foil or put it into a baking bag during cooking.

There are many methods of skinning a turkey. here are some suggested steps:

1. Hang the turkey by both feet at chest level. The turkey should hang so the feet are 12 to 18 inches apart.
2. If you want to save the beard, remove it now. The best way to remove the beard is to grasp it as close to the body as possible, give it a half-twist, then sharply pull it away from the breast. The beard will pull away with a little tissue on it.
3. Now remove the fan by cutting the skin away from the tail.
4. Cut off the wings at the elbow or second joint.
5. Grasp the skin at the tail and begin pulling it down. Work the skin off around the wings and pull it down to the neck.
6. Cut off the neck and the skin. The feathers and head will come off in one piece.
7. Open the body cavity and remove the entrails, if you have not already done so in the field. Be sure to remove all lung material from the backbone, as it tends to spoil rapidly.
8. Cut off the legs at the knee, or second joint, and the turkey is ready for cooking or freezing.

Cooking the Turkey

Roast Wild Turkey in White Wine;
Mushroom Pate Stuffing

Pate Stuffing (amounts are for 10-12 pound bird)

1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms (about 1/4 lb.)
2 qt. fresh white bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. marjoram leaves
1 lb. chicken livers, finely chopped

Ingredients for basting and later use:

1 T. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup olive or salad oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, halved length-wise
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) condensed chicken broth, undiluted
1/2 cup white wine

In hot butter in skillet, saute onion and mushrooms until opinion is tender--about 5 minutes. Turn into large bowl. Add chicken liver, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, thyme, marjoram and pepper; toss lightly until thoroughly combined.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and dry turkey very well inside and out. Mix salt and pepper; sprinkle part of mixture inside turkey. Spoon stuffing into neck and body cavities; close cavity with twine, and fasten wing tips to body with twine. Tie ends of legs together. Place turkey, breast up (omitting rack) in a deep roasting pan with a tight fitting cover. Brush with oil and sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper. Roast uncovered 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Insert meat thermometer in turkey thigh at thickest part. Add onion, garlic, cloves, bay leaf and basil to roasting pan. Pour chicken broth and wine over turkey. Cover pan tightly. Roast, basting every 30 minutes, for 2 1/2 hours, or until thermometer registers 185 degrees F. Leg joints should move freely. Remove turkey from roasting pan; remove twine. Let stand 30 minutes, then refrigerate, covered, until chilled--overnight. Serve cold, garnished, slicing across both breast and pate stuffing in thin slices.

Easy to Handle, Easy to Cook and Easy to Eat Wild Turkey:

Cut up turkey as for frying. Place in salt water for about 30 minutes. Drain and place in refrigerator to thoroughly cool until each piece is very firm.

Remove and season each piece with pepper, a small amount of salt, and just a wee bit of powdered ginger. Roll in flour, making sure to cover completely.

Place each piece in a large iron skillet or heavy baking dish which has an ample amount of salt-pork drippings. Cover only partially to prevent sogginess, and brown in oven.

After turkey is golden brown, remove from oven, drain (save drippings) completely as possible. Rearrange turkey pieces, have ready 4/3 cup of diced onions. Spread over turkey pieces. Place lid on and return to oven at about 325 degrees F. Cook slowly about 3 1/2 to 4 hours depending on size. If dressing is used instead of onion, this can be made in the usual manner, but should be completely cooked before spreading over the turkey pieces about 1/2 hour before removing from oven.

This allows enough time to take some of the meat drippings to make gravy. Remember--these are SALT-PORK drippings, so be cautious about seasoning your gravy.

Turkey in a Sack:

Grease a brown paper sack inside with melted shortening (use a sack of the right size to fit your bird); also brush turkey with melted shortening and salt and pepper well. Make a dressing and add oysters or mushrooms and stuff your bird. Then put the turkey in the bag and twist the end and tie with a string. Set sack in a pan and bake in a moderately slow oven (325 degrees F.) 25 minutes per pound for total roasting. When done, take out of oven and do not open sack for at least 20 minutes, as this lets the steam go into the bird. The open and serve. You will have a lovely brown bird. the paper sack will not catch on fire.

Baked Wild Turkey:

Wash dressed turkey and salt inside about 1/2 hour before stuffing. When stuffed place in baking pan--breast up--with about 1/4 inch of water in bottom of pan. Bake at 425 degrees until breast is lightly browned. (If cloth is used it is wise to dampen it several times during baking. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake about 1/2 hour per pound. Add water to bottom of pan if dried up.

Simmer giblets and neck with 1 bay leaf, a stem of celery and small onion about 1 hour. Use this liquid for making gravy. Giblets will be good and tender to eat, too.

Camper's Covered Skillet Turkey:

Cut turkey in pieces, fry until brown with butter, margarine or shortening. Drain off excess fat. Add one cup onions, chopped fine, one cup mushrooms, pepper, parsley if wanted, one can of beer. Push back the fire and let cook about 45 to 60 minutes at low heat.

Barbecued Turkey:

Cut turkey up in pieces, sprinkle with garlic juice or garlic salt, add together:

One stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped green onions or chives
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 T. thyme and savory, mixed
1 cup of broth
3 T. parsley

Cook onions until tender in butter, add other ingredients. Bring to a full boil, cover each piece of turkey with this mixture. Baste often on grille; cook 45 to 55 minutes or until done. If rotisserie is used, it takes about 1 1/2 hours until done.

Oven Fried Turkey

For each pound of wild turkey, blend 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp. paprika, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and 1/8 tsp. poultry seasoning (optional) in a paper bag. Shake turkey pieces, 2 or 3 at a time, in a bag to coat evenly, brown in at least 1/2 inch layer of fat in a heavy skillet. Place golden-browned turkey pieces, one layer deep, in a shallow baking pan. For each 2 pounds of wild turkey, spoon a mixture of 2 T. of melted butter and 2 T. of broth or milk over the turkey. Continue cooking in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) until the turkey is tender. Test with fork. If fork penetrates easily, the turkey is done. Turn once to crisp evenly. During the cooking, broth or milk may be drizzled over the turkey if it appears dry.