Have I just made a big mistake buying a frozen Bernard Matthews turkey?

[littleredsquirrel]

Nigella is going on about avoiding "turkeys of unknown provenance". I've never cooked a turkey in my life and my plan had been an M&S turkey crown but the combination of having to travel 18 miles to get to an M&S to place my order and then the danger of getting snowed in and not being able to collect same expensive turkey, combined with the half price frozen turkeys in tesco has resulted in an impulse purchase which I'm now worrying about!

Today is the last day for placing the M&S order if I'm going to chicken (or turkey ) out and go down the M&S route after all!

Is there really a big difference in quality and taste?

I got pissed off one year at the cost of turkeys and bought a frozen one. I am a reasonable cook, did all the butter etc under the skin, bacon, upside down etc etc. I thought hey loads of other stuff on the plate it'll be fine.

It was very noticeably MUCH WORSE. Very dry, very tasteless. Never again.

We buy an M and S one on 23rd or 24th, see what they have left. Got a normal free range one there last year and it was lovely.

It really will be fine. We did a frozen sainsbo bird last year, no probs. We have a left over frozen one from last christmas which I am currently defrosting and will brine to have at the weekend. It will a trial run as I don't want to risk brining on the big day without a practice first.

PMSL hobbgoblin [grin}. I shall be chanting moist as I cook. How do I do a redcurranty cranberry orangey sauce?!

Hangingbelly are you using the Nigella recipe to brine your turkey? Can you let me know how it goes.

I usualy buy a 8-9kg turkey and after trying fresh turkeys I have used frozen ones for the past 7 years. Defrost fully, loads of butter under the skin. Stuff loosley with halved onion, orange and lemon. Loads of Streaky bacon to stop the crown and legs burning. Use Delia's timings and vast regularly. I have never had a dry turkey and everyone always compliments me in how moist and taster it is. I will be adding some white wine this year as suggested by nocake?? Enjoy!

Vast = baste

what ever turkey you have get it in the oven EARLY! Get it cooked and done....it will sit and rest and keep hot for ages. Hot plates and hot gravy if you feel it has cooled too much while you carve

and getting it out of the oven early means much less juggling of tins and wrestling with different temperatures.

the old food expert Tony d'Angeli (sp?) on the Jimmy Young prog always said you'd be as well to go with a frozen bird as they are slaughtered, prepped and frozen. The fresh birds are slaughtered, prepped and kept under all sorts of weird conditions to keep them "fresh" until they are sent out to the stores.

for your cranberry sauce put them into a pan with some orange zest, and juice to cover and any a shake or piece of any spices you fancy (cloves, star anise, cinnamon stick) and then heat over a low heat until the berries have all popped and are jammy, then add some sugar...depending how sweet or dark you like it use anything from honey to maple syrup, caster to dark brown

tip it in a dish and it should set nicely and it'll keep in the fridge too. I often use any I have left in random stews and casseroles.

I buy a frozen turkey from Aldi every year and its lovely so I don't see why a BM turkey should be any different. Cook it right with lots of tasty side dishes / stuffing / gravy and it will be fine.

Had frozen ones loads of times and it's been fine. Just make sure you baste it and dont overcook it.

I gave bought frozen this year for the same reason, we live a long way away from any shops, I have done a food shop online with waitrose but refused to pay £45 for a turkey just to feed 4 of us. I have never had a problem with frozen.

dollop some butter over the top and baste regular it will be fine, and it should moisten a bit when you get it out to rest, make gravy with the juices and enjoy it.
why pay for an over priced piece of meat/bird just for one crummy day

We have beef or lamb...

I would probably not appreciate the difference, personally, as Turkey is not my favourite meat. An expensive Turkey would be wasted on me. I can enjoy eating a traditional Christmas dinner though, I just swamp the turkey in sauce and enjoy the trimmings. Leftover cold turkey is cope able, if it highly spiced or Stilton and coleslaw are provided.

If you can find a large roasting bag, they are great for keeping the bird moist. when you take it out of the oven, you should put it breast side down to rest - then any juices will permeate back into the bird.

Do not trust nigella on timing. We won a large bird in the school raffle, and brined and roasted according to Nigellas recipe. We had to delay our dinner by nearly 2 hours because the bird was still raw. Not so good when you have hungry kids.

op I managed to get a small ish turkey from m and s in the reduced section it was organic and bronzed or something, anyway a good one and it was horrible....