In asking for your last min tips for turkey cooking?

[cantpooinpeace]

Its a 13 pounder.

It has a lemon in the cavity, smeared with butter & topped with bacon.

Had a look at cooking times on the web but they do vary quite widely.

I'm reckoning stick it in on 170 @ 0700 and it'll be perfect by 1200.

Advice please :)

Seriously? Just find two or more guidelines from your research that agree (or come close to it) and do that. Nobody here can cook your turkey for you.

Go to FOOD or CHAT and ask there? this is AIBU.

Oh lord, the grumpy ones are on tonight!

And a merry christmas to you two as well,why dont you lighten up a bit and give the op a break.
Op ,thats about the time I would give it,hope you enjoy it.

YANBU to ask, YABU to do it in AIBU.

How's this?

Tent it in tinfoil for most of the cooking,take it off about an hour before time is up so the skin browns. The tinfoil helps prevent it drying out. You want the meat to be 165 F ( 74 C ) if you have a temperature probe I find thats the best way to go. You will want to take it out the oven at around 160 F, tent it tightly with tinfoil and let it sit for about 1/2 hour
I usually brine my turkeys over night in a salt,sugar and herby brine. They cook soooo much faster after they have been brined and are never dry. At thanksgiving my 16 pound turkey ( stuffed) cooked to perfection in 3 hours 15 mins

Your time seems about right too,its 20 mins a pound I believe is the recommended cooking time for turkey

I love turkey :o

It's Christmas Eve, traffic will be slow, does it really matter what topic this is in?

OP, sorry, I have no idea, I'll just do what it says in the box of the M&S crown I bought, but good Luck!

Starting to think it's personal holly - thanks for your opinion :)

Trills I forgot about you thanks for link.

Sounds lovely, think I'll do the same. I haven't given my turkey that much thought tbh, so we will be having a very late dinner.

Merry Christmas

I have one of those huge plastic roasting bags for a turkey. Dunno if they'll work tho, may be risking it.

Hi, I also "tent" the tinfoil and take it off 3/4hr before end of cooking, 20mins a pound is how I go but at 170C. I also put butter/marg under the skin and bacon on top to keep it moist. Just an onion and lemon in the cavity, and do the stuffing seperate. Good Luck!!

great guide here

Never had a problem using the roasting bags. Couldn't get any this year so going to have to brave the foil route so even if this thread was posted in the wrong place, I'm finding it useful!

I would say thats a bit low and not long enough, I tend cook low and crank it up higher for the last hour.

If I where you I would put in a bag or completely double wrap it in foil.

cook it on 180 for 3 1/2 hours and 200 for 1/ 12 with foil off, basting evey 20 mins. then you need to rest it for the full cooking time so double wrap it again in foil with a teatowel on top for 5 hours....or at leats as long as you can.

That is why I cook my turkey the night before, better still fillet beef, takes no cooking time at all.

I cook mine breast side down so it's really moist.

I always use a baking tin with rack in to sit turkey on, then put water beneath rack, (keep water topped up whilst cooking) cover with butter, herbs, bacon. Cover the tin with foil, then cook for 45 mins per kg plus 20 mins, it's never dry.

I just used a meat thermometer lol.

The wire rack sound a good idea

Get the Delia Christmas book! bit late now though

She says 170 degrees, tent the turkey in foil (2 ways - one strip widthways and one lengthways across the roasting tin, like a cross; lay the turkey on its back, scrunch the foil at the top, first one then the other, with lots of room, no gaps) 170 degrees, 4 hours later turn the oven up to 200degrees, take it out of the oven, unwrap it from the top and the sides to expose it, take off the bacon slices, thoroughly baste the turkey, put back in the oven for 45 mins. Take it out 45 mins before serving so it can relax, loosely covered with the foil to keep it hot (the kitchen is boiling hot by this stage so it'll be alright).

Delia never fails - get the book for next year

Darn MN - one time I needed to edit! I missed out to start the turkey in a hot oven - 220 degrees - for 40 mins, then lower to 170 for 3.5 hours. etc

Butter under the skin, draped with tons of streaky bacon, shove an onion, apple and peeled orange/clemetine up its bum. Put in a tin foil tent and cook at 180 in my fan oven for the 1st 45 mins then 150 until its cooked.

That should say 160 not 150

does the foil tent mean it takes longer than otherwise?

do you put stuffing balls/chipolatas inside the tent?

can you do roast parsnips and things in the same pan or must they be separate and untented?

the tent description does not mention a rack - do you use one, inside or out of the tent?

nearly too late...

too late now, but i put butter and streaky bacon in blender until it was pink goo, then stuffed it under the breast and rubbed it lovingly all over the turkey. End result was buttery, juicy turkey with bacony juices.