The smell of Thanksgiving turkey will be filling the homes of many families this weekend, and a local chef is providing some tips on how to get the most out of your meal.

Chris Chafe is a chef at a number of restaurants in St. John’s, including North 48 and the Smoking Oak Lounge.

Chafe says when cooking any type of poultry, it is important to brine it first. He suggests leaving it overnight for between 10 to 12 hours.

Then, Chafe says he cooks his turkey at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes per pound. He doesn’t cover it, though he suggests wrapping it in tinfoil for the last leg of the cooking process if the skin is starting to get too dark.

Chafe cautions against overcooking the bird.

“You shouldn’t have to put it in the oven at 7 a.m. to have it (ready) for the evening like my grandmother used to do,” says Chafe, who suggests buying a thermometer to check the temperature of the turkey to know when it’s ready. He also explains that all of the juices tend to go towards the center of the turkey during the cooking process, so it is best to let it stand for a half hour before serving to let the juices redistribute to the rest of the meat.

As for the dressing, Chafe doesn’t like to stuff it in the turkey like many prefer to do because he finds that it dries out the meat. Instead, he cooks it separately with butter, onions, savoury, and a little bit of garlic, and then he adds some of the drippings from the turkey.