YOU MUST LET YOUR TURKEY REST FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFORE CARVING. I cannot stress this enough. I think it really makes a difference. You can use that 30 minutes to make your gravy from the pan drippings or slam down one last glass of wine before starting dinner.
I put herbs and citrus fruits on the inside. I make an herb butter and stuff it between the skin and meat, and on top of the skin. I lie, I make H do all of that, lol. We're doing everything but the turkey this year, but that's how I've done it. I think the problem with turkey is it's so big that it's hard to make the whole thing flavorful.
This is pretty much what I do.
I also start at a high temp (I forget exactly how high) for about 30 minutes and then reduce it to 350 for the rest of the time needed. I never baste the turkey because I want crispy skin and let rest for at 30 minutes after taking it out of the oven.
We brine it. And when I say "we," I mean we buy one that our grocery store brines for us in their delicious chardonnay and herb brine. Then on Thanksgiving day, I think we do a bastardized version of Alton Brown's method for cooking a turkey and America's Test Kitchen. We fill a couple of ziplock bags with ice and shove one in the bird and put one on top of the breast for 30 minutes to an hour to cool down the breasts so they'll cook slower. Heat the oven to 500, and cook the turkey breast-side down for 30 minutes (after taking the bag of ice out, of course). Then flip and cook at 350 until the probe in the breast hits 160. Flipping is tricky, but turkey lifters help a lot.
It's the only way we've tried it, and they always turn out fabulous. I'm not sure all of the steps are necessary, but I can't justify taking any of them out because I don't want to screw up the turkey. One thing -- our store give us fresh turkeys, and this method cooks the bird really quickly. Like a 20lb guy in <3 hours. I'm always astonished at how quickly it cooks and then feel like I'm scrambling at the end because we haven't figured this part out yet.
I rinse the bird, stuff the cavity with celery and onions.
I mix 1 stick of softened butter with S&P and place that underneath the skin that's on the breast.
I rub the entire outside w/olive oil, and a little more S&P.
Cover with foil, throw in oven, remove foil when there's about 45 minutes left of cooking time.
YOU MUST LET YOUR TURKEY REST FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFORE CARVING. I cannot stress this enough. I think it really makes a difference. You can use that 30 minutes to make your gravy from the pan drippings or slam down one last glass of wine before starting dinner.
We were taught the same method. I mix different herbs into the butter sometimes.
I make sage butter and rub under the skin. Stuff the cavity with lemon quarters and onion quarters and rosemary sprigs, plus salt and pepper.
Roast according to weight, basting at least every half hour. For the first few I baste with a stick of butter.
It always turns out awesome. I've never brined it; I have neither the fridge space nor the patience.
You probably don't care, but we actually bought one of those round drink coolers specifically for brining. We use it every year. You get great contact with the bird with less liquid and it doesn't take up space in the fridge.
eb, we use an earl grey tea brine, rub lots of butter under the skin, stuff with herbs, lemons, and onions, then roast it. DH's turkey is always incredible. I think brining can make a big difference. Letting it rest, like His said, is huge as well. It needs to rest sufficiently to let the juices redistribute, rather than just running all over the place when you cut into it.
I cut up herbs (garlic, rosemary, sometimes thyme), mince garlic, and mix it with olive oil (or butter), salt, and pepper and shove that under the skin of the turkey.
Then I soak cheesecloth in melted butter and Chardonnay, place that over the turkey, and baste with the butter/Chard concoction while baking.
“Life is not orderly. No matter how we try to make it so, right in the middle of it lose a leg, fall in love, drop a jar of applesauce.” - Natalie Goldberg
“Life is not orderly. No matter how we try to make it so, right in the middle of it lose a leg, fall in love, drop a jar of applesauce.” - Natalie Goldberg
I make sage butter and rub under the skin. Stuff the cavity with lemon quarters and onion quarters and rosemary sprigs, plus salt and pepper.
Roast according to weight, basting at least every half hour. For the first few I baste with a stick of butter.
It always turns out awesome. I've never brined it; I have neither the fridge space nor the patience.
You probably don't care, but we actually bought one of those round drink coolers specifically for brining. We use it every year. You get great contact with the bird with less liquid and it doesn't take up space in the fridge.
eb, we use an earl grey tea brine, rub lots of butter under the skin, stuff with herbs, lemons, and onions, then roast it. DH's turkey is always incredible. I think brining can make a big difference. Letting it rest, like His said, is huge as well. It needs to rest sufficiently to let the juices redistribute, rather than just running all over the place when you cut into it.
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Do you mean like a cooler? I put our frozen bird in the cooler this evening with the brine and ice water. I'll keep adding ice. It will stiill be a bit frozen Wednesday night. Rinse and pat dry, transfer to the fridge. Good to go on Thursday morning.
You probably don't care, but we actually bought one of those round drink coolers specifically for brining. We use it every year. You get great contact with the bird with less liquid and it doesn't take up space in the fridge.
eb, we use an earl grey tea brine, rub lots of butter under the skin, stuff with herbs, lemons, and onions, then roast it. DH's turkey is always incredible. I think brining can make a big difference. Letting it rest, like His said, is huge as well. It needs to rest sufficiently to let the juices redistribute, rather than just running all over the place when you cut into it.
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Do you mean like a cooler? I put our frozen bird in the cooler this evening with the brine and ice water. I'll keep adding ice. It will stiill be a bit frozen Wednesday night. Rinse and pat dry, transfer to the fridge. Good to go on Thursday morning.
Yes, but not just a standard cooler, one of those cylinder drink coolers. Like this:
It's the perfect shape and size, doesn't waste brining liquid, and keeps the whole bird submerged. Then you can drain the liquid from the spout, rinse, and clean before storing it away.
Do you mean like a cooler? I put our frozen bird in the cooler this evening with the brine and ice water. I'll keep adding ice. It will stiill be a bit frozen Wednesday night. Rinse and pat dry, transfer to the fridge. Good to go on Thursday morning.
Yes, but not just a standard cooler, one of those cylinder drink coolers. Like this:
It's the perfect shape and size, doesn't waste brining liquid, and keeps the whole bird submerged. Then you can drain the liquid from the spout, rinse, and clean before storing it away.
Yes, but not just a standard cooler, one of those cylinder drink coolers. Like this:
It's the perfect shape and size, doesn't waste brining liquid, and keeps the whole bird submerged. Then you can drain the liquid from the spout, rinse, and clean before storing it away.
That is brilliant! I'm constantly fighting ours to move the ice so that the liquid stays on the turkey. How big is your turkey? I get a 22lb turkey. Do you think it would fit? (I HATE having such a huge turkey...and I make a 10lb ham, too. All per IL's direct request...for 8 adults and 5 kids 4&under.)
(I accidentally had my keyboard on Spanish, so I'm leaving that up there as is, LOL)
My Thanksgiving flameful: I've had smoked turkey and I do not like it one bit. I won't even eat it. Everyone else loved it. I did not.
I don't like it either. My H has a smoker and likes to do it that way sometimes. Then I also make a ham or roast a turkey in the oven. Especially when I'm pregnant, if makes me gag. Too smoky.
Yes, but not just a standard cooler, one of those cylinder drink coolers. Like this:
It's the perfect shape and size, doesn't waste brining liquid, and keeps the whole bird submerged. Then you can drain the liquid from the spout, rinse, and clean before storing it away.
That is brilliant! I'm constantly fighting ours to move the ice so that the liquid stays on the turkey. How big is your turkey? I get a 22lb turkey. Do you think it would fit? (I HATE having such a huge turkey...and I make a 10lb ham, too. All per IL's direct request...for 8 adults and 5 kids 4&under.)
You could also use one of those disposable styro foam coolers too.
Post by DotAndBuzz on Nov 23, 2014 20:41:01 GMT -5
Grill baby!
Shove it full of veggies (I think?), lots of butter under the skin, seasoning salt and pepper, then let that sucker grill to perfection. That way it's out of your oven and use can do other things while it's cooking.
That is brilliant! I'm constantly fighting ours to move the ice so that the liquid stays on the turkey. How big is your turkey? I get a 22lb turkey. Do you think it would fit? (I HATE having such a huge turkey...and I make a 10lb ham, too. All per IL's direct request...for 8 adults and 5 kids 4&under.)
You could also use one of those disposable styro foam coolers too.
22 might be too big. For an upright cooler. I have sqeezed a 20 pound one in. It just means less water to make room for the ice. A normal cooler requires more water for a big bird. The brine gets dilutted.
I stuff it with whatever aromatics I have on hand (onion apple orange lemon) and under the skin I put a paste of oil, puréed herbs salt pepper and garlic.
I smother it in a ton of seasoned butter....I even seperate the skin from the breast meat using my fingers and hand (creeps me out but I push on through) to pour butter in that pocket it creates.
So much butter and it's so unhealthy and glorious.
Just roast it in a turkey bag with veggies, onions and apples.
Yes, but not just a standard cooler, one of those cylinder drink coolers. Like this:
It's the perfect shape and size, doesn't waste brining liquid, and keeps the whole bird submerged. Then you can drain the liquid from the spout, rinse, and clean before storing it away.
That is brilliant! I'm constantly fighting ours to move the ice so that the liquid stays on the turkey. How big is your turkey? I get a 22lb turkey. Do you think it would fit? (I HATE having such a huge turkey...and I make a 10lb ham, too. All per IL's direct request...for 8 adults and 5 kids 4&under.)
Not sure, but you could measure the circumference of the bird and just make sure to grab a cooler that is wide enough. I think we have a 5 gallon cooler, but they make different sizes. I think we bought it at Home Depot or Target.
eta: I think we had a 14ish lb. bird last year and it was plenty roomy.
etaa: Ok, I just did some quick math for you. The circumference of the 5lb rubbermaid cooler should be just about 40 in, so as long as your bird is less than 40 in around, you should be good.
I'm using an oven bag. Sorry @missusbee! I'm scared to death of ruining T-day turkey. I'm going to rub some herb butter under the skin and stuff it with onions, celery and whatever else I find.