to think that you could feasibly cook a turkery overnight on xmas eve

[DamnBamboo]

on a very, very low temperature?

What do you think?

I'm talking the lowest setting on the oven, on at 11pm off at 7am.

What do you think would happen? Has anybody ever done this?

[JellicleCat]

We cook ours overnight in the Aga. Works wonderfully though it does get a quick blast at a higher heat to start off - 30 mins I think.

[usualsocksprezzie]

It will stay warm for an hour while you cook the potatoes and stuffing etc.

[ohforfoxsake]

I'm doing mine in the Aga overnight. An hour at a higher temp to get it going, overnight in the simmering oven (low temp) and then the next day an hour at a higher temp to brown it. Leave it to rest for an hour (with a bath towel over it to keep the heat in) whilst you do the roasties etc.

[oldraver]

My MIL used to half cook then finish off on the day, I also know people who get up at the crack of dawn and put the thing on --never figured out why they need to do this

Why doesnt she cook the bird take it out and while its resting put everything else in. If she par boils the potatoes then they dont take long to cook

[DontmindifIdo]

It's best if you leave the turkey to rest for a while anyway, so cooking it early on Christmas morning then letting it rest for an hour while the spuds etc are doing. Don't spend good money on a turkey then make it dry and ruin it.

[whois]

Google 24h pork.

Either river plate, river cottage or nigella (he weights are well off tho, use RP weights)

Yum-bloody-O

So basically sack off the turkey and do pork :-)

[ceeveebee]

I always take whatever meat we are having out of the oven for any roast dinner before increasing temperature and putting the roasties, vegetables etc in. A turkey needs an hour or so to rest before carving.

[poncyettia]

Loads of butter under the skin and layers of streaky bacon on top, stuffing in the neck and about an inch of water in the bottom of the roasting tin. Cover with a couple of layers of foil and stick in the oven.

When I take it out in the morning, I turn it upside down in the tin ie so it sits on its breast and pop it on the top of the aga to rest with a couple of bath towels on top to keep the heat in. All the juices drain down into the breast meat and leaves it lovely and moist.

The only prob with using the butter is that the juices need skimming to remove the fat before you make the gravy.

I have never brined a turkey yet - might have a go this year if I can be bothered

[lovebunny]

covered! deeply wrapped in tinfoil, more than one layer, and lots of butter everywhere.

[lovebunny]

i've just googled this and found lots of advice - why not check it there? they don't like people cooking stuffed bird, apparently, but that's how it was done. look it up, i don't want to responsible for your family coming down with food poisoning at christmas!

[Bunbaker]

Turkey needs a long resting period so that it remains juicy. If you cover it in foil and several towels it will stay warm for an hour or more - Jamie Oliver does this so I tried it a coupe of Christmases ago and it really does work. Just cook the turkey as normal on Christmas day and roast your spuds and other bits while the turkey is resting.

[fortyplus]

DamnBamboo - modern intensive farming methods have led to around 30% of poultry being Salmonella carriers. In the 'olden days' this wasn't the case, so an undercooked turkey wouldn't have been so risky. My mum used to keep it in a cool room and we'd still be eating it a week later - she always used to buy a 26lb bird so she didn't have to worry about running out!