How do you cook yourr Turkey?

mocha-latte · 22/12/10 - 00:33

Fancy a change, as a rule I butter the breast well, and stuff the neck end, pop a little sliced onion in the body, cover in bacon, and tent tinfoil on the top ...

Was reading about cooking Turkey and it said put a layer of stufing under the Turkeys skin to cover breast ..
Anyone tried this ?

Also wondering
How you do yours?

HAPPY CHRISTMAS x

Gogfumble · 22/12/10 - 00:56

I don't do turkey for Christmas but a few chefs at the moment recommend removing the legs, boning them, stuffing them and roasting them separately. They looked really good on the program I saw and stops them becoming over cooked in spite of making sure the breast is cooked.

For the breast. Something, be it butter or a stuffing with sausage meat in under the skin would help to give the breast a good basting. If you do it under the skin, rather than on top of it the breast gets more of the fat and will be a lot moister.

If it were me, I would put butter under the skin with bacon on top (you could also put more butter on top of the skin if you aren't freaked by the calories) and stuff the neck with the stuffing.

McLovin85 · 22/12/10 - 02:47

I'm looking to cook overnight or start it really early but not sure how to go about it as never cook overnight before ...

TommyGavin76 · 22/12/10 - 06:48

Anyone cook there's the day before? My mother in law insists on doing this and then serving us warmed up day old Turkey for Xmas Day lunch. Mmmm.

parthy · 22/12/10 - 07:31

That sounds kinda nice. The turkey we cook on Xmas day always tastes nicer on Boxing Day.

My mother cooks the gammon on Xmas Eve though.

mocha-latte · 22/12/10 - 07:55

Thanks for replies ..
Forgot to add I also cover the legs well with bacon ..

Good idea cooking Xmas eve, I may do that this year, make less work Xmas morning, easy to carve too

Is it safe to reheat ? Also how is it best to reheat without drying it out?

Read that adding Rosemary sprigs to the legs and Garlic tis nice too, but have never tried this, think I have done it the same for years, and feel its abit samey

PamelaL · 22/12/10 - 09:39

TommyGavin76 wrote: »

Anyone cook there's the day before? My mother in law insists on doing this and then serving us warmed up day old Turkey for Xmas Day lunch. Mmmm.

I do believe we have the same mother on law. Mine is also very good at boiling the shit out of vegetables.

missloo · 22/12/10 - 09:46

I made my own stuffing yesterday and it is in the freezer ready to be taken out on xmas eve

I am going to stuff the neck cavity and make a flavoured butter (with sage, thyme and rosemary) and put it inbetween the breast and the skin

yum.

going to get up early on xmas morning and cook the turkey though - i'll do the ham on xmas eve.

TommyGavin76 · 22/12/10 - 10:11

PamelaL wrote: »

I do believe we have the same mother on law. Mine is also very good at boiling the shit out of vegetables.

Do you also get the speciality of beef cooked until every drop of moisture has been removed?

indianwells · 22/12/10 - 10:24

Herb butter under the skin and roast as normal. I'm parboiling the spuds today, then when they've cooled straight in to the freezer. The more you can prepare in advance the less stress on the day IMO.

missloo · 22/12/10 - 10:29

TommyGavin76 wrote: »

Do you also get the speciality of beef cooked until every drop of moisture has been removed?

My mum does that - its like eating old boots!

Porcupine · 22/12/10 - 11:08

I cook my turkey on Christmas Eve.

I cook it upside down, so the breast is on the baking tray. I smother it in butter and pepper and put it in a foil tent.

I cook it on a higher temperature for 30 mins to give it a blast, and then turn it down much lower basting it regularly.

Last year my turkey was sooooo moist it was a triumph.

c4rv · 22/12/10 - 11:21

How about this. My BIL in the states does this and says its delish. I have all the equipment, if the weather holds off I might give it a try.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1339593/Deep-fried-turkey-The-scariest-way-cook-festive-bird.html

mariets · 22/12/10 - 14:16

PamelaL wrote: »

I do believe we have the same mother on law. Mine is also very good at boiling the shit out of vegetables.

Mine used to put the sprouts on in October, and pressure cook cauliflower until it looked like mashed potato..

rjb101 · 23/12/10 - 05:34

mariets wrote: »

Mine used to put the sprouts on in October, and pressure cook cauliflower until it looked like mashed potato..

As somebody once said "The sprouts aren't cooked if you can still count 'em"

Terry Wogan maybe?

trec123 · 23/12/10 - 07:30

Hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread to ask a question, Mocha-latte, but for those who cook the Turkey on Christmas Eve, do you then put it in the fridge whole, or carve it first?
Presumably it can't be left out until the next day?
Stressing a tiny bit about when I'm going to find time to prep it and put it in the oven on Xmas day as we have a lot of visitors throughout the morning, and I'm not the kind of cook who likes to have someone looking over my shoulder while I work!!

[Deleted User] · 23/12/10 - 07:42

trec123 wrote: »

Hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread to ask a question, Mocha-latte, but for those who cook the Turkey on Christmas Eve, do you then put it in the fridge whole, or carve it first?
Presumably it can't be left out until the next day?
Stressing a tiny bit about when I'm going to find time to prep it and put it in the oven on Xmas day as we have a lot of visitors throughout the morning, and I'm not the kind of cook who likes to have someone looking over my shoulder while I work!!

I put mine back in the fridge whole once it has cooled but I don't reheat it on Christmas day. Just carve and serve. If it stays this cold though I might just leave it in the conservatory overnight.

PamelaL · 23/12/10 - 10:04

TommyGavin76 wrote: »

Do you also get the speciality of beef cooked until every drop of moisture has been removed?

Ah yes, but she drowns it in watery gravy to add back a bit of moisture.

Women from the Black Country, they're tough as old boots and so is roast dinner!!

trec123 · 23/12/10 - 10:43

earthling13 wrote: »

I put mine back in the fridge whole once it has cooled but I don't reheat it on Christmas day. Just carve and serve. If it stays this cold though I might just leave it in the conservatory overnight.

Thanks for that...I'm tempted to do the same and cut the stress.
Happy Christmas, everyone:)

Frood · 23/12/10 - 11:19

PamelaL wrote: »

I do believe we have the same mother on law. Mine is also very good at boiling the shit out of vegetables.

I think for women 'of a certain age' it's enshrined in Law.

The vegetables I hated when I lived in the parental home that I now love (still not sprouts or cabbage though:eek:).....

And the ones that were never known at that time:eek::eek:

As for turkey - no thanks.

Moderate when cooked at its best (and I've had 'top range' turkey cooked by a fine chef) - other meats sooo much better.

Pele-thefiregoddess · 23/12/10 - 20:37

i have aways followed the GR way...high heat at start then mid heat, butter and olive oil, good stuffing, bacon on top, lemon inside......always has worked well.... but i have realised that the lemon in the chicken/turkey is the real gem of advice....every roast chicken is delicious..the lemon keeps the bird succulent and delicious....not convinved by the bacon on top though..the bacon is always burnt/over crispy

However this year going to follow the phil vickers way but with a lemon inside....broth, sealed with foil, high heat to brown at the end. So lets see how it goes

ps - my other advice is goose fat is overrated..sure it gets crisp potatoes..but a mixture of veg oil, olive oil and butter produces a much better tasting experience...always par boil first. Brussel sprouts also always test better with chestnuts and lardons.

[Deleted User] · 23/12/10 - 20:46

boysforpele wrote: »

i have aways followed the GR way...high heat at start then mid heat, butter and olive oil, good stuffing, bacon on top, lemon inside......always has worked well.... but i have realised that the lemon in the chicken/turkey is the real gem of advice....every roast chicken is delicious..the lemon keeps the bird succulent and delicious....not convinved by the bacon on top though..the bacon is always burnt/over crispy

However this year going to follow the phil vickers way but with a lemon inside....broth, sealed with foil, high heat to brown at the end. So lets see how it goes

ps - my other advice is goose fat is overrated..sure it gets crisp potatoes..but a mixture of veg oil, olive oil and butter produces a much better tasting experience...always par boil first. Brussel sprouts also always test better with chestnuts and lardons.

I totally agree. Goose fat always feels like I have a coating of fat in my mouth for hours after. Pop some garlic or rosemary in with the spuds if you want a bit more flavour but the unsalted butter/oil combo is crucial. I like my brussels like that as well with maybe a little sweated onion as well.

Hey there!

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