How to Roast the Perfect Tofurky

Roast Tofurky

I get a ton of emails from my fellow veggies for tips on preparing a tastier Tofurky. David and the girls LOVE a good roast Tofurky dinner complete with all the fixin’s – I’ll make it few times a month. They like to call it Thanksgiving night. Learn from my trial and error – here are my tips for preparing a perfect Tofurky!

1. Allow yourself enough time to dethaw completely, and at least 1.5 hours to cook. Tofurkys can be dethawed or cooked frozen, but I have had much better luck if it is dethawed. For a juicier tofurky, you’ll want to dethaw it ahead of time. I pop mine in the fridge when I get home from the market, and take it out the next day to cook. This also significantly cuts down on the amount of time you need to cook it. Don’t forget to remove the plastic casing…

2. Choose your baking vessel wisely. Don’t try to cram your Tofurky into a too tight baking dish with no room to cover tightly. It will create problems with cooking evenly, and might burn the top and bottom of your Tofurky. My favorite is a dutch oven (like this one I have) because it does a great job of evenly distributing heat, and is big enough to fit the entire Tofurky with a tight fitting lid.

3. Don’t skip the baste! Basting the Tofurky creates moisture and flavor. I cut up 3 medium red potatoes (quartered), and 1/3 cup chives, chopped, and a few handfuls of baby carrots, and place them around the Tofurky before I baste. The veggies come out tender, and with this delicious carmelized roasted taste from the baste. Try this baste next time you cook one. Pour half of it on top, cover, and cook for 1 hour, 15 minutes at 350. Take out of oven, pour the remaining baste, and cook an additional ten minutes…I keep mine covered.

Baste:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon of a savory herb, likes herbs de provence, or sage

On the gravy…you can either make mama’s gravy, or heat the gravy up that the Tofurky comes with. If you use the Tofurky gravy,  stir often, and bring it to a boil before immediately removing from the heat.

Good luck, and happy roasting!