Cooking a Turkey

[zoony]

I cook a turkey every christmas for family. Just enough water to thoroughly coat the bottom of the pan. The water keeps the inside of the "tent" moist plus collects with the fat that drips from the gravy if you want to make gravy. A dry pan can lead to dry turkey.

okay- really dumb question- but I tend to get caught up in details.

This foil 'tent'- you say tuck it in the sides of the pan. Do you mean crinkle the foil around the rim so that it forms as close to an airtight seal as possible, or just kind of loosely tuck the foil in?

These are the kinds of questions I have that make me not a good cook.

[chipwhich]

So, wait.. Rub olive oil over MY skin or the turkeys? I am so confused!

Well if that works for you

[chipwhich]

okay- really dumb question- but I tend to get caught up in details.

This foil 'tent'- you say tuck it in the sides of the pan. Do you mean crinkle the foil around the rim so that it forms as close to an airtight seal as possible, or just kind of loosely tuck the foil in?

These are the kinds of questions I have that make me not a good cook.

You can crinkle it as tight as you can get it. I tend to baste my turkey every hour or so which requires opening the tent (baste with water/melted butter/oil/fat from bottom of pan) Re-crinkling the foil on a HOT pan tends to be painful So its as tight as you can get it but it doesn't have to be perfect...just a light squeeze

[HOF44]

So, wait.. Rub olive oil over MY skin or the turkeys? I am so confused!

[GibbsFactor]

And what I've read says to use a foil "tent"

What-exactly- is a foil "tent"? Do I put the foil on there so it's not touching the turkey? Do I tuck it around the edge of the roasting pan or let it lay loose?

Foil tents are awesome. It makes a steaming effect. Just take foil from either side and move it up from the sides making a tent shape.

[chipwhich]

I like to remove the WHOLE breast instead of slicing at carving time. This method is money.

http://www.butlersguild.com/index.php?subject=105

[renaissance]

Is my family the one one that cooks Thanksgiving turkey on the grill?? I always thought this was the norm until a couple weeks ago I brought up the idea to my roommate and she looked at me like I'm an idiot.

[joeknows]

first off if you want a juicy turkey.... inject it full of marinade

then fry it!!!

in the oven yes .... cook covered except the last hour.....in the last hour flip it over breast side up <yes.... roast with the breast down> ... after flipping it finish uncovered for about an hour

THE TURKEY IS NOT DONE UNTIL YOU CAN GRAB THE DRUMSTICK AND EASILY TWIST IT LOOSE AT THE KNEE!!!

im a chef

[Kosher Ham]

I love fried turkey and will never go back. It's faster and juicier.

As far as roasting (stupid question)...you do have a roasting pan right ?

We roast chicken all the time and never use a tent. The trick is to cook it really high at first and then continue to turn the temp down after 15 minutes, then every half hour or so. Surely with a turkey the times might be longer though.

Good luck with it though Bro. I haven't roasted a turkey in years.

[joeknows]

turkey = 10 mins per pound plus 20

20 lb turkey is 3.5 hours at 400

[Reic]

I usually like to take some stuffing in my hand and shove it inside before I stick it in the oven.

[Fergasun]

zoony,
Here's my turkey log from cooking last year. It was my first time and I put on some pomegranate glaze sauce from Bobby Flay recipe on food network.

I logged the time on the clock:

2007 Turkey (18-20 lbs from CostCo) 4-5 hours estimate @ 325
Salt+Pepper+Butter with pomegranate sauce
Initially @ 450
Clock 60:00
@ 30:00 Reduced to 325
15:00 Basted (1) with chicken stock
1 hour complete
60:00 - basted again
30:00 baste with chicken stock (1.5 hours)
2 hours - basted with chicken stock temperature @ 140+
2 hours - covered with aluminum tent (loosely)
2 hours - fight with grace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2.5 hours - temperature @ 160 in one thigh
2.5 hours - covered with pomegranate glaze
3 hours - more glaze, determination of .5-1 hour left

[Fergasun]

I can't remember if I had stuffing in it... hmmmm... sorry...

[Skinsfan1311]

well thats no fun.

How can basting anything in butter be a bad thing? mmm... butter

Basting does nothing but increase roasting time. There is no baste that will penetrate the skin, or the meat.

You sound like you've done this a few times.

Water in the pan? Never heard that one- how much? What does that do?

And do you rub the salt/pepper on the outside or inside or both?

Just enough cover the bottom...after the turkey cooks for a while, the juices from the bird will start to fill the pan.

Rub the salt and pepper on both.

Stuff it with Pepperidge farm stuffing (the type that comes in a bag).



Put a little water in the bottom of the pan and baste it with that about every 45 minutes.

Don't stuff a turkey. That can breed bacteria and it increases the cook time. Again, basting does nothing but increases the cook time.

Oyster dressing...good stuff

We usually just make the plain old cornbread dressing

MMMMmmmm oyster dressing is the bomb!!!

Is my family the one one that cooks Thanksgiving turkey on the grill?? I always thought this was the norm until a couple weeks ago I brought up the idea to my roommate and she looked at me like I'm an idiot.

No....we've grilled our bird for years....until we discovered the joys of frying a turkey. We'll still grill one once in a while, depending on the weather.

I love fried turkey and will never go back. It's faster and juicier.

Agreed. You can fry a 15 lb turkey in 50 minutes. That's based on 3 minutes per lb, then adding 5 minutes. Inject it with Creole Butter. Apply a rub, under the skin, fry that sucker. MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Good luck and let us know how you made out!

[Dictator]

Alton Brown from the food network recommends NOT stuffing the turkey or basting as they increase cooking time, which = dry turkey.

I disgaree. At least as far as basting is concerned. I basted the **** out of the last Turkey I cooked. It was fantastic.

Also don't stuff **** inside the turkey. That's just nasty.

Z, get a flavor injector also. shoot some spices up in that bird.