How do you cook your turkey?

[vinoelle]

This is the first year I’m not going to my parents house, so the turkey is my responsibility! It’s relatively small I think - about 10lbs which is the smallest the butcher would do.

When do I need to take it out the fridge? What do I prep it with? Is brining really worth it? How the bloody hell do I cook it without being dry?! Top tips please!!

I personally Crown mine but you don't have to
Biggest tip I would give (because I forgot the first time), remove all the giblets. They will be both in the backend opening and there's a flap in the front too where there is a plastic bag of them.
Slap some butter under the skin, more the better. I don't stuff mine as it makes it dry, I put an orange and herbs instead.

Just put it on mid Afternoon Christmas Eve, on low, literally lowest oven setting. Wrap it in tinfoil.
Then on Christmas day, turn it up slowly, baste it often, don't cover in bacon until a little before you want to serve it and let it rest for 30 minutes before you carve.

Take it out of the fridge when you start to pre heat the oven so that it is at room temperature by the time it goes in. My oven can take up to half an hour.
As above, put plenty of herby butter between the flesh and the skin.
I don’t baste too often as it can break down the skin that’s keeping the moisture in, so you end up with it being dry.
I rest the turkey for up to two hours ( well wrapped up).
If you have a meat thermometer it will be handy.

Follow Delia Smith's instructions. This is what I do, every year. My oven runs a bit hot so I cook the bird for a bit less time than she specifies. Her method is to cook it inside a foil tent, slathered in butter and streaky bacon. Keeps it very moist. Start off hot, turn down after a bit and when nearly done remove from oven, turn back top foil and put back into hot oven for the skin to brown. Once cooked, remove from oven and put to one side to rest (covered) while you finish everything else off. This is not just necessary from the point of view of oven space, it makes a massive difference to the finished result, as the juices sink back into the flesh and it makes it more moist and easier to carve. The turkey will stay hot for ages if covered loosely with foil and maybe a towel over that.

Good luck! It's not that hard really.

No stress.
Big chicken.

Take it out fridge a good few hours before going in oven to get to room temp. I'm going to take mine out when I go to bed and cook it in the morning.
Make it a nice little jacket out of streaky bacon to keep it moist. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperate. Rest it wrapped in tinfoil, tea towels in a cool bag for at least an hour.

Right good advice here. I can’t eat butter so does anyone know if flora would work? I’m dairy free. Margarine has a different melting temp tho doesn5 it?

Like the idea of not stuffing the bird. What herbs do people use? I’ve got fresh rosemary and bay plants so hopefully that will do.

@MillieVanilla you start on Xmas eve?! I’m not sure I’m that brave, mine would surely be dry if I did that?

I smother it in goes far, wrap in bacon and roast, then rest for a couple of hours while everything else cooks.

Stupid auto correct, goose fat ! Lots of goose fat and bacon.

We have a crown that we stuff with stuffing.
Rub butter and lemon juice to the skin and wrap in bacon.
Normally cook on Christmas Eve on the BBQ, have it cold Christmas Day . Yummy 😋. It’s going to be around 34* Christmas Day

I'd use a little oil instead of butter, especially if you also have bacon.

I would hesitate to cook a turkey long and slow. I'd be worried about food safety as well as dryness. To my mind, you need a good big blast of heat to penetrate to the centre of a big lump of meat like a turkey.

I do stuff my turkey as it makes it moist. Maybe it depends what kind of stuffing you use. I always do pork, sage and onion, which is basically sausagemeat with chopped onions, fresh breadcrumbs, sage (I use dried), salt and pepper. I put it inside the bird and add the weight to the weight of the turkey when I calculate the cooking time.

I go the Jamie route and smother it with a whole block of butter and herbs on a trivet of veg (to finish off the gravy), pop a clementine, and a chilli in the cavity and dust with clementine zest and a bit of nutmeg. Wrap tightly in foil and remove 45 mins before the end to lay a lattice of bacon on top and over the legs.

I’m sure olive oil would be a good sub for butter? Or maybe goose fat? Not too much and you will need to separate the oil if you’re using the trivet for gravy- if you are doing that then use the giblets too.

Definitely get it out of the fridge 2 hours before and you should leave it to rest under foil and tea towels for at least an hour. This also gives you the time for all the veg and the gravy. I like gravy

Herbs - bay leaves, sage, rosemary, thyme but honestly any woody herbs that you like!

On Channel 4 on demand is a few Jamie Oliver Christmas. I’ve watched them and gave me a few good ideas on how to cook turkey and save Christmas lol.
Totally recommend

Over the years I've tried many ways to cook a turkey always great but never super juicy!!

Last year I discovered this and well it was absolutely fantastic!!!

www.raymondblanc.com/recipes/the-perfect-roast-turkey/

Brine it - makes it super juicy and moist. Nigella has a good brining recipe but I just bung mine in a washing up bowl with a couple of litres of water & a packet of maldon sea salt for a few hours before draining and cooking as normal.

I've used Raymond blanc recipe from the BBC good food site for the last few years, takes far less time and is always good. I cook mine on Christmas eve and then carve and reheat in stick/light gravy on Christmas day so no chance of being dry anyway.

www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/the_perfect_roast_turkey_01155/amp?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQHKAFQArABIA%3D%3D#aoh=16086301250771&amp_ct=1608630147977&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Ffood%2Frecipes%2Fthe_perfect_roast_turkey_01155

Never cooked a turkey but I also know the ones we've eaten for Xmas dinner never had stuffing or herbs stuffed into it or butter rubbed over it. Still tasted just fine and was never dry. I prefer stuffing separately anyway. The thought of it shucked up a turkeys bum is a bit 🤢 imo

However you decide to cook it, seal it up as tight as you can in a balloon of foil. That helps to keep it moist.

I really like the idea of the Raymond Blanc one, is there something I can use instead of arrowroot? No way I am going to the shops just for that!

I just use a bit of flour, i think it's just something to thicken your gravy.

or cornflour or sainsburys do a sauce flour i've used. It's the faster cooking time that's a revelation.

OK, thanks!

I want to try the Raymond blank but terrified it won’t cook in time!

@vinoelle

I want to try the Raymond blank but terrified it won’t cook in time!

Try it honestly it's great 😊 But you have to rest it

Watch his video probably explains it better

@tinselearedcow

I really like the idea of the Raymond Blanc one, is there something I can use instead of arrowroot? No way I am going to the shops just for that!

Arrow root ? I didn't use that in mine

Have I posted a shite link? 😂

Turn on oven
Prick skin with lesions and stuff butter under the skin
Cover on bacon
Cover with foil
Bing in oven