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

Link

Give up the turkey.
I now do 3meats instead, a roast chicken chicken, a roast beef joint cooked medium (cooked on the day) and a coca cola gammon (night before). All different tastes and much more appreciated and the leftovers last a good while after and I can make more meals without getting fed up of the same meat x

We stopped turkey in 2014 when everyone said they honestly preferred chicken - so we have a 4kg chicken instead from a good butcher with a farm - it's no cheaper but always really lovely

It’s only dry and tasteless if overcooked, sorry OP.

I buy a Turkey crown, stuffed half and half (half sage and onion, half sausage meat) and cooked by Delia’s instructions in her Christmas cookbook. If I’m very lucky it’ll be the same weight as a previous year and so the timings are already worked out!!

A crown is lighter and less bulky, so much easier to cook.

Good luck OP!

I started brining mine a couple of years ago and won't do it any other way now. I use a loose version of Nigellas brining liquid, adjusted to the smaller size of my bird, and it's not salty at all as the brine isn't that salty. It's brushed with a glaze of melted butter and maple syrup and just really good.

I’d cook something you enjoy instead.

We tried cooking the Turkey breast side down one year. You have to turn it right side up midway through, we left it too long before turning - our Turkey had corners, but it was juicy and the stuff of family legend!!

You don’t HAVE to do any of that if you buy a crown..

We’ve got turkey parcels this year, from Sainsbury’s. Had them a few years ago and they are great. Had to order them well in advance though. Sure you don’t get the leftovers, but that doesn’t bother us.

Apparently Chefs have advocated cooking the turkey upside down so the juices go down to the breast. I used to do that but now I have a large turkey breast which I buy from a cottage farm. I usually buy it ahead of time as I have to depend on someone taking me as we no longer drive. It’s now in the freezer.

Make sure your turkey is thoroughly defrosted.

stuff main cavity with bread stuffing (onions softened in a LOT of butter, breadcrumbs, fresh herbs, a little stock. Ensure stuffing is completely cold before stuffing turkey) pack the stuffing down well - you should be able to fit your hand in the cavity above the stuffing. This ensures air circulation so that the stuffing cooks properly and eliminates the risk of food poisoning.

put two long sheets of turkey foil in a cross shape. Place roasting tin in centre. Fold and scrunchie foil together ensuring it’s well sealed - you’re aiming for a ‘tent’ of foil around the turkey, the foil should not be touching the turkey.

arm yourself with a digital meat probe - this will have pre set poultry cooked temperature

cook according to the weight of the turkey NB include weight of stuffing.

absolutely no need to baste.

about an hour before end of projected cooking time take out and use meat probe to check temperature- don’t forget to also check stuffing temperature in the cavity.

if turkey is nearing cooked tenmperature return to oven covered, then remove the foil for last half hour to brown and crisp the skin. If it needs a bit longer then leave it covered until nearly at temperature, it only needs to be uncovered for final half hour.

when cooked remove from oven, stock on a warmed platter and cover with foil and a towel or two to keep warm. Rest the turkey for up a hour or so while you finish off the roast potatoes, veg etc.

use the juices from the tray to make gravy, along with giblet stock which you can make while the turkey is roasting.

honestly, this method is foolproof- you can’t go wrong if you use a meat probe. The stuffing adds flavour to the turkey and the turkey juices add flavour to the stuffing. The foil tent ensues moisture stays in. Lots of lovely flavoursome tray juices to make gravy.

properly cooked turkey is delicious.

I brine it in a big container until defrosted, then cook upside down for a lot less time than the packet states - use a meat thermometer to check it's done. Nigella has a good guide for timings online.

We have done this for years and it is always lovely (although I do get the turkey from a good butcher too) - the only problem is it is getting a lot warmer around Christmas now and I do worry about keeping it cold enough.

Also you need to rest turkey for quite a while

My husband is a chef. We cover with foil quite tightly and don’t remove the foil until the last half hour of cooking. Turkey is never dry.

Use a thermometer and then rest it for AT LEAST an hour.

Yes, bought a free range bronze from Aldi for 75 quid today, plenty there.
Have very successfully done Delia's method for decades, might try Jamie Oliver this year with the veg trivet.

@Mrswhatsit40 if they want turkey they can cook a turkey…

do a pork belly and crackling instead. That’s what we have and love it. Chaps started doing a ham as well but there’s only him out of 5 adults eat it on the day but the meals he creates in the days after with it are delicious.

We wrap it completely in foil with air space then take it off for the last 30 mins to crisp up

It's a Delia Smith way of cooking it

Cook the turkey breast down, it will stay in all the juices and the breast will stay moist.
Next year get a butterfly or crown... No pissing around and no bones.

I just smear the outside generously with butter, then put streaky bacon over the breast and double wrap in foil. I don't baste it just take the foil off half an hour at the end of cooking before resting for at least 1 hour before carving, it has never been dry.

I never do turkey. It's beef this year, last year lamb and I have even been known to offer up a salmon en croute. Which I bought from M and S. If you absolutely have to have turkey I would wrap it in bacon and don't cook it for too long. Lots of gravy too, turkey is often dry.

Buy a fresh Kelly Bronze and cook to the instructions it comes with - shorter than you would think as the birds have a higher fat content.

We had to have a frozen turkey one year, was worried but it was delicious.

Tips:

• defrost the turkey on Xmas Eve in a bucket of cold water so it's not taking up fridge space for days. Plus it will definitely be defrosted within 4 hours
• leave turkey in packaging - change water every 30 mins or so.
• We used a cleaned kitchen bucket.

Be careful with the turkey water in case of any splits in packaging. So don't splash it about because it's uncooked poultry.

• Put turkey straight in fridge once sure it is defrosted.
• Take turkey out of fridge 1/2 hours before cooking to get it to room temp.

DO NOT OVERCOOK THE TURKEY - Turkey is only dry if you've overcooked it.

Ignore the timings from the packet and use the timings from:

britishturkey.org.uk/

Make sure you include resting timings.

Lots of people say that you can cook the turkey first and let it rest while you cook the rest. I've never done this as not needed to but if you struggle for oven space, it would make things easier. Plus you are juggling fewer things.

Good luck.

"I went to Waitrose today and there were none, only two frozen ones left. I have a Tesco delivery coming Monday but they've no fresh turkeys on there despite me doing it about 2 weeks ago. I'm guessing you have to order a fresh one from the butcher?"

@Mrswhatsit40

No you don't have to get one from the butcher, but whether you buy from the butcher or a supermarket you need to order. They have cut off dates.

With Tesco you can order from when you get your Christmas slot I believe up until a date in early/mid December. It's then locked in on the cut off date, and you will definitely get your turkey. You can then add to your order everything else you normally buy for Christmas up until the day before your delivery as you would any other order.

Aldi and Lidl operate differently. The turkeys come in on a particular date just before Christmas and you just need to go and get one on or just after that date. Aldi turkeys are very good ime although I haven't bought one for a few years.

My kids hate turkey - we had roast beef