Cook turkey the evening before

[Carol52]

Just asking how many people cook their turkey the night before. I have for years and it eases there’s on the day

No personally I don’t want it reheated.

Honestly unless it’s the size of an ostrich, I don’t see the point

I might be missing something, but I’m not sure how it makes it easier. Turkey does its own thing and is largely hands off, and then when it’s done has a long resting period so you cook other things when it’s out of the oven. Managing reheating it in the right amount (can’t reheat more than once) and without drying out sounds hard to me. And it tastes different- my sister will happily eat fresh turkey but doesn’t like how it tastes after it cools.

Never understood this - what other meal would you cook the main part the day before! 😂

Overnight in the bottom of the aga. Best ever turkey and a whole oven free for the other stuff ont the day. Stays warm wrapped in tin foil and tea towels till we want it. Wouldn’t do it any other way.

To be fair, many stews are better cooked in advance. Ditto curries, lasagne, ragu bolognese. Not roast meat, though. I love the smell of the turkey cooking on Christmas Day. I wouldn't want to eat re-heated turkey slices.

I cooked it the day before one year, and never again.
It just extended the cooking effort over an extra day.

A colleague I barely know mentioned that she cooks the whole meal the day before and then microwaves it on the day. It took every ounce of self-control I have not to blurt out something that conveyed my horror and instead smile and nod and say it sounded like a good idea.

My turkey is huge and takes up the whole oven so, I've decided to roast it today.
I'll wrap it in foil and tea towels once it done.
I'm not too bothered about it being cold tomorrow, as I'll also be doing beef and gammon and all the other trimmings incl hot gravy, so cold turkey will be fine.

My late in laws were both terrific cooks and did this every year. It turned out lovely , but they did beef fresh on Christmas Day. I’ve never been able to recreate their roasts !

I did it one year and just served it cold rather than reheat it. I didnt anticipate just how long you could rest it as id never done it before. My brother in law whinged a lot about that but regularly rests his meat so long its gone cold anyway especially on the cold plates, so i couldnt see a difference

i did mine in the slow cooker last night. Now got the gammon in it.

I don't see the point in cold meat on a roast dinner and it never tastes the same if you reheat it. The tukey can be taken out early on the day and wrapped in foil, leaving plenty of space in the oven.

My DM always did. Served it cold on warmed plates and the gravy heated it all up.

But it would be cold? I've not tried that. I get the point though about freeing up oven space. And you can't cook any of the other oven dishes that far in advance.

I guess covered in gravy. Or very briefly microwave the slices? Does it not go a bit dry?

It’s so much nicer cooked the day before. My DH is prepping it right now, turkey crown resting on onions, apples and oranges, stuffing stuffed under the skin which is then covered in bacon and surrounded by chipolatas. Cooked tonight and when the kids get in from work we will have pieces and the bacon, stuffing and chipolatas, delicious!!

Turkey is then carved up and put back in all the lovely juices and when reheated the next day it’s so delicious and moist.

me neither.

My MIL always used to put whole large turkey in oven on low overnight, about 6 hours.

I’ve just cooked two turkey crowns in the slow cooker and I’ve done the ham as well. Tomorrow I have 13 people coming for dinner so I will try to time all of the veg and sides to be ready for approximately the time that they are due to arrive and with the meat I’m going to make 13 individual parcels of ham stuffing and turkey put them all into two trays with a small bit of water in the end, wrap them tightly in tinfoil and heat them up in the oven that way.

please note; I’ve never done this before, so I am praying it turns out okay!

This is exactly the thread I need. Mine is in right now, but I don’t think I can cool and carve in time for me going to bed (because additionally I feel like shit today!)

Is it fine if I just leave it in the kitchen? I’ll reheat full in gravy tomorrow

Rickety , my in laws used to let the Turkey cool down Christmas Eve night and loosely cover in foil and clean tea towels on top. Not sure if any of this correct, but nobody was ill and reheating it up on Christmas Day was also fine too with hot gravy etc.
I hope that you feel better soon and I’m sure your dinner will be great!

You reheat it in the gravy, why would you eat it cold with a hot dinner?

Ours is about to come out the oven, it's only a crown. I will leave it next foil for an hour or so then carve, let it cool then put in fridge. Tomorrow will serve it cold but with hot gravy obviously. Done this for about 20 years and it's fine!

MIL does this - cooks it for hours on Christmas Eve, then back in the oven for a few more hours on Christmas Day. Her turkey is always dry as dust.

It really isn't much of a bother cooking it all on the day. As turkey benefits from an hour "resting" that gives you the perfect window to whack up the oven temperature and throw in the roasties.

I can just about see the point if you are hosting lots of people, have limited space, or are doing a particularly complicated meal, but I don't think it improves if it's reheated.

I haven’t but recently reheated some in gravy and it was actually way nicer