Christmas Turkey: AIBU to ask for your tips

[PinkSyCo]

on cooking the turkey? This year will be only the second time in my 50 years of being on this earth that will have cooked a Turkey, and although my first attempt last year turned out fine I think it might have been more beginners luck so want to make sure it turns out as good, or preferably better this year. How do you makes yours flavoursome and moist? Also the gravy. My mum’s gravy was the best. How do you make yours?

Nigella’s recipe for brined turkey. It’s a joy

Nigella’s recipe for brined turkey. It’s a joy

Thanks. I will look it up!

I put lots of butter under the skin, cover the skin with strips of streaky bacon and stuff with sausage meat and sage and onion stuffing.

I cook on Xmas eve basting regularly.

On Christmas Day I slice the turkey and cover with lots of turkey jelly and foil and reheat in the oven.

Gravy is just made with turkey juices a turkey gravy granules.

Very simple and never fails.

Last year my oven was not big enough for the turkey so DD cooked it and brought it over . It was wrapped in foil and towels and “rested “for over an hour. It was the most juicy flavoursome turkey we have ever had.

That sounds delicious MajorCarolDanvers. By turkey jelly do you mean the skimmed off second layer of the turkey juices? Also do you cover your turkey when cooking?

Ooh nice. I will show my DD’s your post sandgrown.

Always roast it upside down so that the juices run into the breast to keep it moist while cooking.

Brine it, you can find lots of brine recipes on line.

We do turkey for thanksgiving and I always brine mine the day before. I use a simple salt, sugar, onion, garlic and rosemary. Boil it for 10 mins and let it go cold. I put the turkey in one of those oven bag things in a cooler then add the brine and let it sit over night.

I then stuff it as per normal and cook as per normal. A brined turkey will cook in about 1/2 the time though, so start checking the temperature at about the 1/2 way mark for normal cooking. Seriously, its amazing. It will also brown up and look like something out a cook book, its always perfect. Cover it in foil and let rest for about 1/2 an hour. That bird will still be moist when you cut it for sandwiches days later.

I use a roasting tin so the Turkey sits on the little rack thing. I put some chicken stock in the bottom of the tray and then cover the whole tray with foil to lock in steam. When I’m basting the stock and Turkey juices combined are lovely and make great gravy. Take the foil off for the last 30 minutes.

Brine it

Get a meat thermometer. Much easier to work out when it's the right level of cooked!

And let it rest for a good couple of hours! The difference is amazing.

Yes definitely rest it. Turkey out and roast potatoes in. It also means your oven isn’t overwhelmed

I cook it upside down for half the cooking time. Flip over, cover with bacon to finish.

And lots of rest under tea towels.

Cook it upside down on a platform of vegetables, which you can then put in the gravy.
Cook it before everything else, take it out and wrap it in a towel and leave it to rest while cooking everything else. It makes a huge difference.

I want to cook mine upside down for half the time but am worried about flipping a hot turkey over to brown the breast. How do you manage that bit??

Here. www.seriouseats.com/search?q=Turkey

I am banned from cooking it on the Weber for the first time ever (total fire ban here for a few days) so I was having to read today about overnight cooking. It will be too hot to cook it in the day.

I jam the carving knife & fork up the bottom, lift and flip. Elegant

That's also how I cook roast chicken so I'm used to do it that way.

In my gravy I use the water potatoes parboiled in as a natural thickener. Then add a large cupful of full fat milk and a large cupful of white wine. Add a mixture of gravy granules and a crumbled up vegetable stock cube. Keep constantly stiring as brought to the boil. Finally add in some turkey juices and stir again, then simmer. I so.eti.es add on a sash of cream and stir before serving. It is a rich gravy, perfect for turkey. I get loads of compliments on my gravy.

@Notonthestairs Likewise 😂

Loosen the skin on the breasts and slide butter and herbs underneath. I've also experimented with putting stuffing there too. It's a bit of a faff, but really stops the meat from drying out.
I put finely chopped veg (potato and carrot usually) underneath with just enough water to cover. Later this is liquidised and added to the gravy. Also stops the meat drying out!
PP above who said about a meat thermometer - very useful (if somewhat lethal looking) gadget. Has saved me from undercooked poultry more than once.

Get a meat thermometer and check the temperature at least an hour before expected cooking time is up - and keep checking it every 20 mins or so after that.
If it's free range, cooking time likely to be less than for non free range, and is also cooked at a lower core temp. The cooking instructions for mines says to take it out of the oven when it reaches core temp of 60 deg c as it will continue to rise after that .
I brine a 7 kg free range bird and it is cooked usually in 2 hours.

Lots and lots of butter. And then, add more butter just in case. I entomb mine in streaky bacon & bought a meat syringe I inject more butter into the bird with. I melt the butter with sage & pepper for a bit of flavour.

Double wrap the foil, baste often, use a meat thermometer to make sure it’s reached temperature & hasn’t over cooked.

I also slide my fingers under the.skin & add lots of sausagemeat, along the top of the breast & in the dip by its bottom. Well, I think it’s it’s bottom. The opposite end of the cavity lol!

Celery, a small onion & a carrot (and butter!) in the cavity.

Most importantly, once you’ve prepped al of that, re-weigh the bird - I can easily add a 1.5kg of bacon, sausagemeat etc. - and calculate the cooking time based on that.

Saying all this, it’s only my husband & I for Christmas dinner (and one to drop at Mum’s!) this year, so I’m deconstructing a turkey breast joint to add the above!

Another vote for brining. I make up some chicken stock from cubes and add carrots, onion, celery, bay, thyme and peppercorn and brine over night. When I cook the turkey I put liquid in the caverty, normally wine, lemon juice and stock. It really helps with keeping the breast moist as steams from the inside.