To dread cooking the blasted turkey every year?

I haven't read all the replies so sorry if you've already had these tips ...

1. We cook our turkey upside down so the breast meat doesn't dry out.

1. We use a meat thermometer to check when to take it out of the oven - it needs much less time than you think.

Cooking upside down helps. But honestly just don't bother. I'm doing gammon this year.

If someone in my house kicks off, they are offered to bloody do it themselves. We've had a variety of dishes over the years - roast chicken with mustard and honey gravy goes down a treat. But we've also tried pheasants (pretty much a gamy chicken) and roast beef. Goose was a big disappointment.
Or you can go continental and make some fish or German sausages with sauerkraut and roast potatoes.
I don't know who came up with this turkey nonsense anyway.

Spend a tenner on a meat thermometer and say goodbye to dry, overcooked meat.

Recipe:

Put turkey in oven
Cook until done - 72C
Cover and rest while you cook spuds, etc

We put it in a roasting tin , then put foil over the whole thing , making it like a steam tent. Then, after removing from the oven leave it in its tent, to absorb juices.

Get a turkey crown or breast joint that comes in a tin and bung it in the oven for 1.5 hours. Jobs done.

Then focus on the actual nice bits!

JUCIEST turkey EVER:

The THREE B's!!
Brine
Baste
BBL

Video here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzwFUsAuUvO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Frozen will be fine! Do you have room in the fridge for it to defrost in there? If so, allow 24 hours for every 2 kilos.

I always have a detailed time plan for cooking the dinner. I used to rewrite it every year, but then a few years ago I did it in a spreadsheet. All I have to do is check it every year and tweak if we are having anything slightly different. I print it off and leave where everyone can see it so when anyone in the family feels like helping out they can see what needs doing and pitch in.

Will try and attach a picture of my plan

The easy way is in a turkey roasting bag, they sell them beside the big foil trays

Spoonful of flour and a good shake if salt and pepper, and then close the bag and give it a good shake so it coats the inside. Then in with the turkey,
turn it around half way because ovens aren’t always even.

If you cut the bag open carefully, you can lift out the turkey, gather the bag back up and snip the corner to transfer the juices into a pot to make gravy. Minimal mess.

Let the turkey rest under tinfoil and a big bath towel for at least an hour, so the juices are reasoned into the meat.

I don't know how/why people say turkey is dry. It's only dry if you've overcooked it, surely? I suspect people cook them for way too long.

Mine is a huge 8kg turkey to feed about 16 people and I will give it about 4 hours. Put it in at 9am - take it out at 1pm.

COVER IN FOIL and a teatowel/towel and leave it to rest til 2pm when we'll eat.

That means you can cook your roast potatoes, sausages, parsnips, pigs in blankets - whatever else - in the oven AFTER the turkey is already finished.

You can cook it breast side down for the first 2 - 3 hours if you like, but mine will be too big to heave over onto it's back again, and I never find it dry.

We do an organic free-range Kelly Bronze every year, and though it costs more, it's always delicious. I vaguely follow an old Mary Berry recipe for French Roast chicken that involves basting it with stock and it's made such a difference compared to the dry turkeys I cooked before I found it. Moist and succulent and wouldn't dream of doing it any other way now.

Frozen turkey is always rank - you need a fresh one and a tonne of bacon

Don't cook one - why stress yourself more than you need to?

Also, the fresh turkeys in Waitrose only started to be available from today, so it's possible your local store had a slight delay. There will be plenty on shelves in the next few days.

I order an m&s boneless crown in October. Just bung it in the oven and that's it, easy. Maybe try that next year

Brine the turkey, baste often and go by the temperature of the meat, using the cooking times as a guide only. The times given are very much a one size fits all, but different breeds and rearing of turkey alters the cooking time.

If you can invest in a meat probe, one that you put in the meat while it's cooking. You can normally monitor from an app on your phone. You will be able to take it out and just the right time.

Also, let the bird rest for at least an hour after cooking. Wrapped in foil, then covered with a tea towel it will stay hot for a long time. The resting lets all the juices settle back into the meat, giving lovely juicy turkey.

I don’t like turkey at all, never have. Our Christmas dinner is a slow roasted leg of lamb. The meat is always delicious and the leftover sandwiches are legendary.

We have our big dinner on Xmas eve - that’s the tradition where I’m from. So on Xmas day everyone can relax, including me.

If you are a lousy turkey cook then do something different. Turkey is not compulsory.

I think people cook it far too long.

Would be worth a google. I do an hour in the roasting oven at 7pm, move to the simmering oven at 8pm and it’s there till 9am ish the next morning. It’s a 12kg+ though so HUGE!

Don't. Splash out on one or two really high welfare chickens and enjoy a lovely meal. My grandmother cooked turkey each year and now my mum has for the last ten or so years. She brings it over as we host Christmas. Every single year that I remember from when I was three or something they both critised the turkey and how it wasn't as good as last years. Since grandma died mum just seems to have a discussion with herself about this disappointing turkey. We all tuck into the easy to cook delicious rib of beef and half heartedly join in with the expected turkey criticsm.

Buy a meat you like and is easy to cook!

Boneless Turkey crown, cook it in the slow cooker (we have an oval one) no liquid added and a tea towel under the lid so it doesn't get too wet.
Comes out nice and tender and not in the least bit dry.

I always slow cook gammon ,with Cola ,just chuck full fat cola over the gammon and cook on high for about five hours, always very tasty.