Anyone know any good turkey recipes?

[almerick]

So the best time of the year is coming up and my dad wants me to cook a turkey. Just wondering if anyone has any good turkey recipes they would like to share?

[chengj]

I've had good luck with Alton Brown's instructions from Good Eats...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000136041
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season1/Turkey/TurkeyTranscript.htm

[almerick]

Originally posted by chengj
I've had good luck with Alton Brown's instructions from Good Eats...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000136041
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season1/Turkey/TurkeyTranscript.htm
Thanks, which recipe do you recommend? I'm liking the second one so far.

[Kennyredline]

I bought a pre-done turkey from M&M's once, all I had to do was plop it in the over for a bit, tasted great, had the stuffing already inside, saved a lot of time, and tasted no different from a done-from-scratch-meal.

[snoop101]

Originally posted by almerick

Thanks, which recipe do you recommend? I'm liking the second one so far.

Ya that sounds soo good. Marinating a turkey is elite in my books.

[Tik-Tok]

I roast mine upside down, and baste it every 30 min.

It takes way longer to cook, because you're losing heat every half hour, but man is it juicy when it's done.

[nonlinear]

the key to a good turkey is the brining process (google it, or go on epicurious). after that, it doesn't really matter how you cook it.

oh, and alton brown is a douche.

[core_upt]

Originally posted by nonlinear
the key to a good turkey is the brining process

THIS!
soak that bitch in a salt water mix for 24 hours and it will stay moist.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by core_upt


THIS!
soak that bitch in a salt water mix for 24 hours and it will stay moist.

Brining doesn't make your turkey more moist than a non-brined turkey. It just gives you a bit of a cushion in case you overcook your turkey. If you roast a turkey properly it will still be just as moist.

What brining does is add subtle and well distributed flavour throughout the bird. This is done by osmosis which replaces the current unflavoured water in the turkey cells with a flavoured brine.

[cdnsir]

I've been alternating between traditional roasted and this rosemary infused recipe. I personally like this rosemary one better just because it's always moist and it makes the house smells sooo good!

SOURCE: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rosemary-Roasted-Turkey/Detail.aspx


INGREDIENTS
* 12 pounds whole turkey
* 3/4 cup olive oil
* 3 tablespoons minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
* 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, basil, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt. Set aside.

2. Wash the turkey, inside and out, pat dry. Remove any large fat deposits. Loosen the skin from the breast. This is done by slowly working your fingers between the breast and the skin. Work it loose to the end of the drumstick being careful not to tear the skin.
3. Using your hand, spread a generous amount of the rosemary mixture under the breast skin and down the thigh and leg. Rub the remainder of the rosemary mixture over the outside of the breast. Use toothpicks to seal skin over any exposed breast meat.

4. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast according to the number of pounds your turkey weighs. This is usually 20 minutes per pound in a 325 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven. A meat thermometer inserted in the thigh should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) and the juices should run clear when pierced with a fork.

[snoop101]

Do you guys add a bit of wine to the bottom of the pan with the water?

I like to think it makes it taste better.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by snoop101
Do you guys add a bit of wine to the bottom of the pan with the water?

I like to think it makes it taste better.

I put no liquids in at all.

In fact I even dry the turkey before it is seasoned.

I want to roast my turkey and have nice brown crispy skin... not steam it.

[nonlinear]

I dry mine really well, too - but there are 329847983274983274987323247 ways to cook a fucking turkey.

IMO, as long as you buy a GOOD QUALITY bird and BRINE it, you can roast it any way you want and it will still be delicious. there is a lot of talk about dry heat, and how important it is to dry the outside and inside, but from my own experience I don't think this matters too much, especially considering the length of time required to cook a fucking turkey. i've stuffed the fuck out of birds with all kinds of stuffings, fruits, etc. and I never have a problem getting a crispy skin... if you're paranoid about the crispy skin, just coat the outside in salt (it's delicious, i promise. just be sure to drink lots of water or whatever).

[Kozikman]

where can i get a good quality turkey?

[nonlinear]

^^ if you can afford it, go to a good butcher, or a farmer's market, and get a free range or organic turkey. i suggest Second to None meats (3 locations: http://www.stnm.ca/locations.php). they have hutterite turkeys ( :drool: :drool: :drool: )

[almerick]

Quick question, where can you buy fresh herbs? My co-worker advised that sunterra, is there anywhere else? All this turkey talk is making me hungry

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by almerick
Quick question, where can you buy fresh herbs? My co-worker advised that sunterra, is there anywhere else? All this turkey talk is making me hungry

Superstores should have most of it - just remember to bring some over here when your done cooking it :D

[snoop101]

Originally posted by almerick
Quick question, where can you buy fresh herbs? My co-worker advised that sunterra, is there anywhere else? All this turkey talk is making me hungry

around this time co-op sometimes has fresh herbs made for your turkey with i think 3 of the main herbs. Its in there produce section where the fresh basil is. It comes in a little plastic container. Its not like fresh from the plant type thing, but depends when you go it should be fresh.

[ianmcc]

Brine the bird for sure.
Baste often during cooking-never cover the turkey as you will steam it and you will never get a nice brown turkey (it will be greyish in color if you cover it).
Oh, and Alton Brown is king! (even though his little skits are ghey).

[signature7]

Originally posted by Kennyredline
I bought a pre-done turkey from M&M's once, all I had to do was plop it in the over for a bit, tasted great, had the stuffing already inside, saved a lot of time, and tasted no different from a done-from-scratch-meal.

:werd: this is the option we're going with this year. Moms still recovering from surgery. Still looks tasty!

[HHURICANE1]

I'd sure love to try the deep fry method. I've seen it done on TV and it looks sooooo good!

[almerick]

Just finished making the brine, used broth instead of stock, novice mistake, hopefully it turns out well? Had trouble finding rosemary and basil but ended up finding it at brentwood safeway

[KRyn]

Originally posted by chengj
I've had good luck with Alton Brown's instructions from Good Eats...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000136041
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season1/Turkey/TurkeyTranscript.htm

Yaaaahhh, it's all about brine! Ohh and not stuffing the turkey!


brine + not stuffing = moise/juicy ass turkey

[almerick]

Another thanksgiving bump! I am super stoked this year. Having an early thanksgiving dinner this sunday and preparing the turkey/brine saturday.

What is everyone's thanksgiving recipe this year?

[artieg30]

so guys i'm a little conflicted here... it'll be my first time cooking a bird and i've done a fair amount of research on the Internets and some people are saying baste the turkey and some are saying to just soak it in brine. What do you beyonders out there recommend from personal experience?

[Guillermo]

why not both?

EDIT: but I find that brining has way more of an effect on the moisture of the meat, while basting just keeps you from getting too bored whilst cooking.

[boarderfatty]

When I do my turkey I will brine it, rub it with olive oil and throw it in the oven. I will baste the turkey two times max I hate losing the heat, but I have a baster with a fine syringe tip for puncturing the skin and injecting the meat itself instead just dripping it overtop. I find with the oil, opening the oven very little and injecting the turkey I get a very juicy turkey with a crispy skin.

This year I may try a herb rub to go along with the oil. we will see what happens.

[thepyrofish]

Originally posted by boarderfatty
When I do my turkey I will brine it, rub it with olive oil and throw it in the oven. I will baste the turkey two times max I hate losing the heat, but I have a baster with a fine syringe tip for puncturing the skin and injecting the meat itself instead just dripping it overtop. I find with the oil, opening the oven very little and injecting the turkey I get a very juicy turkey with a crispy skin.

This year I may try a herb rub to go along with the oil. we will see what happens.

This is pretty much what I'm going to do. I don't know if I still have the little needle tip for my baster or not though. I think the brine does a decent job keeping it juicy and I have a pretty small turkey this year so I'm not too worried about basting it at all to be honest.

We'll see how it goes I guess. This will be the first year I'm doing the whole meal myself. :D

[chengj]

We had thanksgiving last weekend and I did a brine with 2 cups salt, 2 cups brown sugar/honey and about 4 gallons of water, breast side down.

To roast, I cut up an apple, about half a dozen cloves of garlic, sage, rosemary and simmered it for a few minutes in about a cup of water. I dumped all that inside the turkey. Rubbed some oil on the turkey. I put it at 500 for about 20-30 minutes, then down to about 350 to complete (about 2-2.5 hours). The Turkey was about 7.5 kg.

The turkey came out moist and delicious, with a nice crispy skin.. :-) It was a combination of Chef Michael Smith's recipe and the Good Eats one.

[ornamental]

last year we ended up getting only a piece of boneless, skinless turkey breast. but then i had the bright idea of wrapping the whole thing in bacon before shoving it into the oven. it turned out delish.

this year im gonna brine, wrap a half bird with bacon and then cedar plank it on the bbq.
wish me luck

[npham]

Last year, my brine was something like:

Apple Cider(get the thick stuff, nothing too watery), Vegetable stock(no salt, or reduced salt)-a simple mirepoix will do, Rosemary, Savory, Thyme, Salt(1/2 cup) and Water.

Depends on how big your bird is, and how much brine you need to make, but think 1 Tablespoon for the herbs(dried) per 1.5-2L for the liquids. And it's always better to be under seasoning/brining your bird that over doing it.

I basted it a few times as well. Also, make sure you watch your bird because it will cook about 30 mins or so faster.

[Commanderwiggin]

Deep fry the bird...I'm not a big turkey lover but my uncle has made two deep fried turkeys when I've been around and they are the most juicy, tasting turkey meat I've ever had. I believe he injected the meat with wine as well on one occasion. And...it only takes 30 minutes! Fool proof minus the scalding/grease fire hazard...cook outdoors.

[Jonel]

In case no one has said it yet. If you're roasting your turkey in a hotel pan over a rack, roast the turkey upside down. I did a couple test runs on two birds 3 weeks ago and the one I cooked upside down (breast side down) were far more moist. Both had no stuffing.

[Jonel]

In case no one has said it yet. If you're roasting your turkey in a hotel pan over a rack, roast the turkey upside down, then flip it over on the last hour for some extra color. I did a couple test runs on two birds 3 weeks ago and the one I cooked upside down (breast side down) were far more moist. Both had no stuffing.

[Guillermo]

^^does that work with stuffing, too?

[Jonel]

Originally posted by Guillermo
^^does that work with stuffing, too?

I never put the stuffing inside the bird. What I do is I cook it in a different hotel pan, covered with aluminum foil for 3/4 of the cooking time and then finished off uncovered for the extra color.

[cet]

I'm going to try brining the Christmas turkey this year. What are you guys using for a container? Brining bag, big pot, cooler?

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by Jonel
In case no one has said it yet. If you're roasting your turkey in a hotel pan over a rack, roast the turkey upside down. I did a couple test runs on two birds 3 weeks ago and the one I cooked upside down (breast side down) were far more moist. Both had no stuffing.

Yeah, I mentioned that on the first page, from last year. I've been doing it for years (did it one year and didn't even notice I was cooking it upside down, then it was so tasty, it became tradition) Keeps the white meat so much juicier, though I use a normal roasting pan... it can be a little difficult (and messy) to flip :rofl:

I stuff it too, and it works fine.


Originally posted by Jonel


I never put the stuffing inside the bird. What I do is I cook it in a different hotel pan, covered with aluminum foil for 3/4 of the cooking time and then finished off uncovered for the extra color.

In that case it's dressing. Which I never find as tasty (for either the bird or the dressing). I use sausage stuffing, and it's nice have that bit of flavour seep into the turkey, and vice versa.

[Amysicle]

So a hotel pan is basically a jelly roll sheet with slightly taller sides but not as tall as a regular roasting pan?

[npham]

Originally posted by cet
I'm going to try brining the Christmas turkey this year. What are you guys using for a container? Brining bag, big pot, cooler?

I used a 5 gallon bucket, from Canadian Tire or Home Depot. Just wash it out first. I've never tried a bag, but I suspect it could get messy, ie tearing/cutting it or losing grip and having it spill all over the place. Hardest part regarding the bucket method is finding enough fridge space for the bucket. You will need to probably need to remove 1-2 shelves to make it work.

[almerick]

For bucket method, unlucky for me my fridge was packed last year but lucky for me it was freezing outside. Put the turkey on the deck and left it overnight. Weighed the lid down just in case any animals tried to get to it.

[Pinner]

Originally posted by chengj
I put it at 500 for about 20-30 minutes, then down to about 350 to complete (about 2-2.5 hours). The Turkey was about 7.5 kg.



That's a 16.5 lb Turkey in 3hr's or less. I don't think so.

The only time I brine a Turkey is when I smoke it on the BBQ. Just don't over cook it and it will be juicy.

Happy Holidays

[Amysicle]

Originally posted by Pinner
That's a 16.5 lb Turkey in 3hr's or less. I don't think so. I've done it before too. Brined, not stuffed, 14.5 lb turkey in the oven at 500ºF for 30 minutes and then turned it down to 350ºF for about another hour and a half when my thermometer beeped. I was so sure I must have stuck it in the wrong spot so I took the temperature in the breast as well. The turkey was perfectly cooked when I carved it.

My MIL's turkeys usually take about 7 hours at LEAST in the oven when I think they're about the same size but they're stuffed.

[kertejud2]

No Turbacon?

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