How do you Turkey?

[Deleted]

I was never "taught" so when I made my first turkey, I prepped it the way I watched my French host mom prep a whole chicken and I've pretty much done it that way every since with a few tweaks as I had the urge. So I'm curious how others do it.


For mobile:
How do you prepare your turkey?
[]  "traditional" (explain your method below)
[]   brine
[]   smoke/grill
[]   I let the store do it
[]   tofurkey and other non-meat alternatives

[Deleted]

My host mom just rubbed butter with salt and pepper between the skin and meat of the chicken so that's kind of what I do. I first mix together in softened salted butter: ground rosemary, ground sage, dried thyme, crushed garlic from a press, ground pepper. Then I rub that between the skin and meat so its trapped between the two and leave some good clumps on the high spots so it melts and drips down. Then I rub some additional on the outside of the skin. I stuff the body and neck cavities (and between the wings and body) with wedges of lemon, onion and garlic cloves along with fresh sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage.

I don't like gravy but the gravy eaters in my family says it makes a pretty good flavor with the drippings.

[Deleted]

I stuff it with:

Sage
Rosemary
Thyme
Onions
Garlic
Apples

Rub a stick of butter on the skin and cover in bacon

[mkate710]

I like to brine it. Usually we use butter under and on top of the skin, but last year we used duck fat and it was amazing.

[Deleted]

Nov 26, 2014 14:33:26 GMT -5 mkate710 said:

I like to brine it. Usually we use butter under and on top of the skin, but last year we used duck fat and it was amazing.

Mixing your birds. I enjoy that.

[picksthemusic]

We are using Anne Burrell's brine this year. So excited!!

[sotally tober]

I'm making my first turkey this year! Eeek!

I'm doing an herb butter on and under the skin while stuffing it with carrots, celery and onion. I'll be re-coating with the herb butter throughout the roasting process.

[tacocat]

My family varies a lot. B's family always bastes with butter/spices under the skin and stuffs the cavity with lemons. It is always so good!

[dana86]

I've been bringing it for the last couple years and don't think I will ever go back to not doing it this way. If anything I might eventually try a different brine but that would be it.

[PandaPear]

We're doing our first turkey(s) this year too - deep frying!

[BlackCanary]

We rub the skin with salt and pepper and put cornbread stuffing in the turkey. We've been doing it this way since before I was born. Grandma's cornbread recipe.

[Deleted]

We stuff with stuffing. Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt and cinnamon then rub with butter. After half cooking time, rub with butter again and let cook.