To dread cooking the blasted turkey every year?

[Mrswhatsit40]

It's always dry and tasteless no matter what I do. I'm generally very laidback but this is the worst bit about Christmas for me - worrying about cooking the turkey. Worrying it's going to defrost properly in time then wrangling with a beast the size of a large toddler, removing the disgusting giblets, then in and out of the oven for hours from 9am onwards basting, giving myself third degree burns in the process, stuffing inside or not blah blah.

What the the absolute BEST way you cook your turkey to avoid meat dryer than a nuns crotch? And please don't suggest that Jamie Oliver thing of smearing butter underneath the skin bc I tried it last year and it was impossible (disclaimer:I am not a great cook).

Help me please oh wise MN-er's so I can sleep tonight..what's your failsafe tip for tender turkey? Or does it not exist?

YANBU: It's a pain in the bloody arse and turkey tastes terrible no matter what
YABU: It's easy to cook a nice turkey and you are clearly doing it all wrong

Google Phil Vickery's turkey recipe - it's a game changer. DH used to reluctantly pick at a bit of leg and moan now he is happy to tuck in to breast too.

Oh and salt and pepper the bird as well

I hate to say it but the butter under the skin is the only way I remotely manage to get a juicy turkey (I still think it's dry regardless!) could you just get a crown? This year I'm doing four turkey parcels which are basically turkey breast wrapped in bacon and stuffing and just popped in the oven. Alternatively why not just do a big chicken and maybe pair it with a gammon or beef joint?

I never understand why people put themselves through all that defrosting and cooking. I've never done it and I'm mid 50s. Head to M&S for a deboned, stuffed crown .... or if that's not within budget, buy a chicken or beef/lamb.

😂😂😂 You have the right idea. Once the youngest has left home I'm bogging off on a Caribbean cruise over the festive period.

Frozen turkeys are drier than fresh.

Also try a crown or a ready to carve turkey joint type thing. They don't take as long to cook so aren't as dry.

Also are you letting it rest before carving? At least half an hour

They can cook it then!

So have something else! Order a Chinese takeaway, if you like. It's supposed to be enjoyable. I haven't eaten turkey at Christmas for over 30 years... it's easy.

STOP with the turkey already.

The sky won't fall in if you have chicken or duck or goose instead.

Or beef, or pork, or fish.

Just stop with the damn turkey. It's dry and tasteless and utterly pointless.

Lots of fresh ones available in my local M&S football this afternoon.

if you can afford and are prepared to throw money at it, we order from Kelly bronze and follow their instructions. We get a crown, half crown or full bird depending on numbers. No faffing, cooks quickly, always moist and tasty. Thermometer tells you when it’s cooked perfectly, let it rest while your potatoes and veg are in the oven.

Hmmm, I wondered about doing this actually as the one I enjoy at the pub always tastes quite salty - I wonder if they brine it first. Il check that out.

How many is it for? Get a frozen turkey joint and a nice gammon. Bit of obligatory turkey and then fill up on gammon.

I do ours overnight in the Aga. Appreciate I’m lucky to have that option but I wonder if low and slow in the oven might be the same. Always do a massive one too as we feed a lot of people. Buy them from a local farm where they are disposed of last weekend, dressed this week and can collect from Saturday. Loads of farms do it that way just for Christmas.

Oh no, it absolutely does make a difference to taste.

I don't know where you are but absolutely Tesco where I am has only just begun to stock fresh turkey and there's loads so I don't think you will have problems sourcing them this week.

Good luck and go with fresh.

Using sausage meat stuffing inside helps keep it moist, as the fat comes out and into the bird. We don't eat this stuffing at the end, though, we have Paxo type stuffing to eat. Keep it tightly covered with foil to start with, covered with lots (and lots) of streaky bacon. I've tried doing some of the cooking breast-down, but it's a 4-handed job to move it around again. Best bet is get a meat thermometer and check temps - remember it's big, so will retain a lot of heat when you take it out of the oven (covered with many tea-towels). Good luck!

The best way is to not buy one and have beef instead. That's what I do.

How old would you be to be able to kick off but not old enough to cook the Turkey yourself?

I know, it's my fault for simultaneously hating it but not allowing anyone else within 100 metres of the kitchen. I don't trust them. Dh cooked Christmas dinner once when I was very ill and it's gone down in family history as the worst Christmas ever.

I think you need to start with better raw ingredients. If we’re having turkey I order a Kelly Bronze free range one and follow their instructions.

No faffing around with butter/bacon/stuffing/basting/brining. Just season and stick in oven, turn over half way through, leave to rest while you do the potatoes.

Expensive but worth it, never been dry and cooking time is short.

Go to Tesco xmas eve late and get a fresh one heavily reduced.

I am far too wimpy to risk this. Also I hope to be quite tipsy on Christmas Eve!

https://www.vickery.tv/recipes/phils-perfect-roast-turkey/

As I suggested that above try this method and don't skip the resting - every year my husband fails to remember that it is still very hot after being out of the oven for an hour and a half.

You should never cook a turkey without any covering on it - foil or roasting bags. Maybe for half an hour to brown the skin.

Put a lemon cut in half in the cavity and an onion, If your family eat bacon, put some streaky bacon on the thickest part of the breast. Its lovely crispy too.

Do not put stuffing into the bird as it will dry the meat out.

I find frozen turkeys from experience are not flavoursome. Since my DF got fresh turkeys as part of his Christmas box at his then employer, we always preferred them. Including the 15lb one we had between the 3 of us.

I would get a crown but there are 8 of us and we like leftovers for sandwiches so there wouldn't be enough.

If we have turkey a get a butterfly breast wrapped in bacon from the butcher. They're huge. Pretty much impossible to dry it out, and cook it for under the supermarket label recommendations. You need to pay for decent turkey imo and I understand not everyone is in hte position to do that but I wouldnt buy a frozen one.

We're having beef this year anyway. No one will miss the turkey.

Does it have to be turkey ,why not choose a meat everyone likes ?