A newbie cooking her first turkey!

[Akatzman86]

Hi all,
This holiday my mom has planted the monumentally terrifying task of cooking the turkey for our family. I have searched the net for recipes, and come up with this one as the one that sounds most intriguing.

Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe - Allrecipes.com

A few things about it concern me though, so I thought I'd ask some turkey veterans

1) If I make stuffing, I can't stuff it in the turkey based on the instructions, correct?

2) It doesn't say to baste. Should I?

3). If I pour champagne and broth over the turkey, will that be adequate for the flavor to stay?

I'd love any and all opinions. I'm very intimidated by that bird!!!!

 

[Andy M.]

Step #3 begins with, "Bake the turkey in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear."

When the juices run clear and there is no pink at the bone, THE TURKEY IS DONE!.

The instruction goes on to say, "Uncover the turkey, and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer."

While the skin is browning, the meat is getting over cooked.

I'd choose another recipe.

I use this recipe and have consistently great results: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html

 

[Akatzman86]

Do you have any recipes to suggest? I'm pulling at straws :-/

 

[Andy M.]

Do you have any recipes to suggest? I'm pulling at straws :-/

I went back and added a link. Check it out.

 

[Akatzman86]

I considered brining, but unfortunately that's near impossible for me as the turkey is at my moms, she is cooking incompetent, and I won't be there in time to handle it or explain what brining even is to her.

Is a recipe like this a better call?

Marinated Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes

 

[bakechef]

You can't lose with the Good Eats turkey!

The extra work of the brine will make you look like a kitchen genius! Keep an eye out for brining bags, they are like giant ziploc bags and are easier to maneuver and fit in the fridge than a bucket. Or you could get the XXL ziplocks, I think we discovered last year that they are food grade.

 

[bakechef]

I considered brining, but unfortunately that's near impossible for me as the turkey is at my moms, she is cooking incompetent, and I won't be there in time to handle it or explain what brining even is to her.

Is a recipe like this a better call?

Marinated Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes

This is the same amount of work as brining, just a different solution.

 

[Akatzman86]

That's a fair point, I guess. Cost is another concern, as is accessibility of ingredients? That Good Eats recipe lists a lot of things I have never heard of, and don't know where i would procure, and now I am apparently now making turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes with feta/sundried tomatoes/olives, and goat cheese and carmelized mushroom/onion tart, so my head may explode if I can't find all my ingredients tomorrow. Specifically allspice berries?? Candied Ginger?

 

[Andy M.]

Allspice and candied ginger should be on the spice shelves at the super market.

The key points are to brine with salt and sugar and roast as instructed. That much will guarantee a moist turkey.

 

[Dawgluver]

Follow the directions on the turkey package, and don't worry about brining. Check out Alton Brown et al's Thanksgiving Day special on Food Network aired today. If it's your first turkey, make it as simple and easy on yourself as you can.

Just make sure you clean out both the butt and neck cavities. They have bags of giblets. Butterball Hotline is a great resource.

Good luck!

 

[Somebunny]

I agree with Dawg. Keep it simple! If you run into problems we are here. I'm sure some of us will be periodically checking in even on Thanksgiving day. You will do fine!

 

[chopper]

Follow the directions on the turkey package, and don't worry about brining. Check out Alton Brown et al's Thanksgiving Day special on Food Network aired today. If it's your first turkey, make it as simple and easy on yourself as you can.

Just make sure you clean out both the butt and neck cavities. They have bags of giblets. Butterball Hotline is a great resource.

Good luck!

+1. Simple is best when starting out. I still remember my first attempt (32 years ago). I just bought a turkey, followed package directions, and stuffed it into my apartment oven! Everything turned out just fine, and all were happy!

 

[bakechef]

Follow the directions on the turkey package, and don't worry about brining. Check out Alton Brown et al's Thanksgiving Day special on Food Network aired today. If it's your first turkey, make it as simple and easy on yourself as you can.

Just make sure you clean out both the butt and neck cavities. They have bags of giblets. Butterball Hotline is a great resource.

Good luck!

+1
The best thing that you can do is not,overcook the turkey! Get a thermometer, it's worth the small investment (under $10)

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

+1
The best thing that you can do is not,overcook the turkey! Get a thermometer, it's worth the small investment (under $10)

On that note, keeping it simple, this method is easy, takes very few additional ingredients, and gives you a very moist, juicy bird with great skin.

Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity and neck of your thawed turkey. Place them into a pot of boiling water to make broth. Season the broth to taste with salt. Cover and simmer for about twenty minutes.

While the broth is simmering, wash the turkey inside and out. Place on a V-rack-or raised rack in your roasting pan. pat dry with paper towels. Rub with butter all over the bird. Season the skin with salt and pepper, and maybe some granulated garlic.

Preheat the oven to 375' F. Remove the broth from the heat. Use a syringe injector to inject broth into the meat, all over, in the thighs, in the breasts, in the wings, and in multiple places in each part. Let sit for 10 minutes. Truss the turkey by tying the ends of the drumsticks close together. Tuck the wings under its back.

Place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, and push the tip down next to the thigh joint, taking care to not touch the bone. Add 2 cups water to the roasting pan. Place the pan, with the bird, into the oven. Roast for about 12 minutes per pound. Check the thermometer. When it reaches 160' F., remove the roasting pan from the oven and then let everything rest for 20 minutes.

Carve by removing the thighs from the body. Simply pull the legs away from the body and cut through the meat to the joint. Your knife will cut through the center of the joint without too much fuss. Remove the wings in the same fashion.

Remove the whole breasts from the carcass by cutting from the breast bone (top center of the breast) along the fib bones, from top to bottom. Use a sharp, smooth bladed knife so as not to tear the meat. Place the breast sideways to you and carve into about ten slices. Do the same with the other side. Place the meat onto a serving platter, garnish with attractive veggies, and present it at the dining table.

The key to this technique is pulling the bird from the oven when the temp reaches 160' F. This will insure a juicy and flavorful turkey. There is no need to baste, brine, or turn it over while cooking. It's easy, and works. I've been roasting turkeys for better than thirty years now. I started in my early twenties, just after I go married. I used to follow the package directions to a tee, and couldn't figure out why my turkeys came out dry as cardboard. Then I started experimenting, reading, testing various techniques, and so on, and so forth. When I figured out how to do it right, I tested by doing it on the grill, again watching the final meat temperature. Then, I played with the oven temperature settings, and took out the bird at 160'. In all cases, as long as I removed the turkey at 160', and let it rest for 20 minutes, I was rewarded with turkey that everyone raves about. it's really that simple.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Siegal]

I agree. Just don't overlook turkey and add sufficient salt and pepper. Should be fine. Sometimes simple is best. Also. I hate putting stuffing inside turkey. Always soggy....if you choose not to you can thrown a few cut onions, lemons, and fresh herbs in the cavity. It will perfume the turkey.

 

[jennyema]

If you do stuff inside the bird make sure you test it's temp with your thermometer (thermometer is essential to cooking a turkey) and make sure it's at least 165 degrees or you can give people food poisoning.

If its not hot enough when the turkey is done, scoop it into a casserole pan and keep it in the oven while the turkey rests.

Make sure the turkey rests for at least 20 min before you carve it.

 

[Dawgluver]

I never stuff the turkey, it grossed me out as a kid....

Again, to simplify, I'd do the stuffing separately. Easy in the crockpot or microwave.

 

[bakechef]

I never stuff the turkey, it grossed me out as a kid....

Again, to simplify, I'd do the stuffing separately. Easy in the crockpot or microwave.

It totally grossed me out as a kid too. Mom always made a ton of stuffing and had to cook some in a pan, that's the only one that I would touch.

 

[Dawgluver]

It totally grossed me out as a kid too. Mom always made a ton of stuffing and had to cook some in a pan, that's the only one that I would touch.

LOL! A brother from another mother, BC!

I would always promptly toss the giblets straight from the cavities into the trash, till both Mother and MIL joined us, and under their close watch, I boiled them. Then, when they weren't looking, I tossed them in the trash too.

I'm a bit more adventurous now, and do use the giblet liquid in the gravy, minus the liver and kidneys, which makes the whole thing gross and cloudy.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

LOL! A brother from another mother, BC!

I would always promptly toss the giblets straight from the cavities into the trash, till both Mother and MIL joined us, and under their close watch, I boiled them. Then, when they weren't looking, I tossed them in the trash too.

I'm a bit more adventurous now, and do use the giblet liquid in the gravy, minus the liver and kidneys, which makes the whole thing gross and cloudy.

It's great being the liver and giblets lover of the family. It means I always get 'em. Why, I've even been known to purchase a bucket of chicken or turkey livers and make them into pate. I also love to thrown them into my dressing. As DW doesn't like dressing, it doesn't matter, unless we're having company.

Don't dis the liver and giblets.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North