How do you cook your turkey?

[Sunshine73]

I was reading the thread about the smoked turkey and, it got me to thinking that there are so many different ways to prepare turkey. So, how do you pepare your Thanksgiving turkey?

Personally, I always put it in the oven in a "turkey bag". I coat it with butter under the skin and on top of the skin and when it comes out of the oven, it's so golden brown and juicy that it looks like it should be on the cover of a magazine and it tastes even better than it looks! (If I do say so myself)

Last year we went to the in-laws for Thanksgiving and they cooked their turkey on the grill. My DH loved the smoky flavor but, to me, it just wasn't right. I can't say I didn't like it, but it definitely wasn't my favorite and I'm not sure if it was because of the way it tasted or if it was because it was so radically different from what I'd come to expect at Thanksgiving.

[Merry Sage]

I've done chicken in a roasting bag, but not turkey. I'm not sure I can get the bags here regardless.

I like to cook the bird unstuffed, in a big roasting pan, tented with foil. I add a cup or so of chicken stock to the pan, along with the spices for basting. The stuffing I do in a separate casserole dish, popped into the oven with the bird for the last hour or so.

There's nothing like the smell of a perfectly roasted turkey! :carve:

[kgstyles]

I cook my turkey in the oven in a roasting pan swimming in butter . I inject a special recipe of juices in to different parts of the turkey every half hour and also baste at that time too. After about 8 hours a very nice and brown turkey comes out. I got the recipe from a Navy master chef I met who used it to make President Clinton's Thanksgiving dinner at the White House when he was the honorary Chef when was in office.

[dominick]

Soaked six hours in a brine solution of vegetable broth, sugar, salt, and pepper with whatever else I feel like tossing in there. Makes for a very juicy and flavorful bird.

[Pam]

I cook mine in the oven, very slowly, and baste often! I also do my stuffing seperate (I mix 1/2 Stove Top and 1/2 bread cubes).

btw, dominick - I love your Beatles avatar...my dh is a HUGE Beatles fan!

[scooterbugs25]

I separate the skin on my turkey being careful not too rip it off or tear it. I put strips of bacon inside between the skin and the meat of the bird. cover the outside of bird with butter and olive oil. If any bacon left throw it in the inside of the bird. It is cooked in a roasting pan with a tent of foil over it. I baste every 30 Min's after the 3rd hour using an injector. the last hour of cooking I uncover the bird, to Brown.

I do not put stuffing in my bird. I cook it separate.

I do not like smoked turkey it just don't seem normal..lol I do like it deep fried :)

[MarthaK]

My stepdad is a born and bred Kentuckian, and so for years my family has used a recipe that utilizes his favorite bourbon. I don't have the recipe here at work but this one I found online at cdkitchen.com is very close. The alcohol all burns off, so no one gets a buzz, but the flavor is outstanding and the turkey is always very moist.

Orange Bourbon Turkey:
Ingredients:
1 fresh or frozen whole turkey (12-pound size) -- thawed
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 cup water
3/4 cup bourbon -- divided
1/3 cup molasses
3/4 teaspoon salt -- divided
4 oranges -- peeled
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Orange slices (optional)
Flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional)


Directions:

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; discard. Rinse turkey thoroughly with cold water; pat dry. Combine orange juice, water, 1/2 cup bourbon, and molasses in a 2-gallon heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; add turkey. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove turkey from bag, reserving marinade.

Preheat oven to 350º.

Tie ends of legs with cord. Lift wing tips up and over back, and tuck under bird. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt into body cavity. Stuff cavity with oranges. Place turkey on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray or on a rack set in a shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone.

Bake at 350º for 3 hours or until thermometer registers 180º. (Cover turkey loosely with foil if it gets too brown.) Remove turkey from oven. Cover turkey loosely with foil; let stand at least 10 minutes before carving. Discard oranges.

Pour reserved marinade into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Skim foam from mixture with a slotted spoon; discard. Reduce heat to medium; cook until reduced to 3 1/2 cups (about 15 minutes).

Combine 1/4 cup bourbon and flour in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add to reduced marinade; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve sauce with turkey. Garnish with orange slices and parsley sprigs, if desired.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 679 Calories; 29g Fat (41.6% calories from fat); 74g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 244mg Cholesterol; 371mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 10 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

This recipe for Orange Bourbon Turkey serves/makes 12

[dominick]

I strongly suggest that those of you who baste try brining just one time. It does so much more for flavor and texture. Instead of just flavoring the outside, the entire bird is infused with the flavor of the solution. Plus, you don't have to keep opening the oven door which cuts down on cooking time. If you ever watch the Food Network, Alton Brown does a great Thanksgiving day episode that explains the process very well, and his recipe is pretty good.


btw, dominick - I love your Beatles avatar...my dh is a HUGE Beatles fan!

Thanks!

[scooterbugs25]

I strongly suggest that those of you who baste try brining just one time. It does so much more for flavor and texture. Instead of just flavoring the outside, the entire bird is infused with the flavor of the solution. Plus, you don't have to keep opening the oven door which cuts down on cooking time. If you ever watch the Food Network, Alton Brown does a great Thanksgiving day episode that explains the process very well, and his recipe is pretty good.




Thanks!

Can you share your recipe for the brine solution?? I may try it this year!


:family:

[dvdguy]

i found this from Alton:

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

[dominick]

That Alton Brown recipe is the same basic one I use. I just change a few things here and there usually based one what I have on hand. I don't use the ginger, I upped the brown sugar to ¾ cup, and I throw in a little extra pepper. I've also made it without the allspice berries and couldn't really tell the difference. From there, sometimes I'll just go through the spice cabinet and toss in whatever catches my eye.

[joyful]

Another vote for the cooking bag. I always use the cooking bag. Keeps the bird very moist, no basting and it's worry free cooking. Best of all it is soooooooooo easy. Of course I season the bird and we like to stuff the bird, then hubby sews the bird up and into the oven it goes.

[Minta]

I cook our turkey in a roasting pan with a foil tent and baste often.

[Head Elf]

We tried a deep fried Turkey one year. It was pretty good, moist and very flavorful. But I still like the traditional way to cook turkey. You smell it all through the house and wishing it would hurry up. The dressing and the cranberries. Ohhhh! hurry up and get cool so I can bake.

[Annette1990]

I also bake mine in the oven. I have used reynold bags before and they work great too. Usually thou, I just use a roasting pan, and smother is with butter...I baste it about every half an hr...when the top starts browning and has reached golden in color I usually put some foil over the top...and again I always stuff my bird with my famous sage dressing....Mmmmmmm