Christmas Turkey: roasting rack or not?

SeanF

So I'm cooking xmas dinner this year for the first time. Has anyone here ever used a roasting rack for the turkey? It's basically a rack that suspends meat over the pan (such as this).

I've read that it cooks a turkey much better as the meat is suspended over the juices, and the heat gets under the bird. Has anyone tried it. Is it worth 22 euros?

phormium

Waste of money in my opinion, be different maybe if there was a lot of tasty meat under the bird but there isn't! Put it on a bed of veg, makes nice gravy. Base of the tin will conduct sufficient heat.

The Hill Billy

I pop my turkey on a bed of sliced onions, garlic cloves & thyme sprigs that I then use to make my gravy while the bird rests.

Racks like those are more suited for joints of meat than whole birds.

dudara

We don't use one. I put the bird on a trivet of veg instead, which in turns helps flavour the gravy & juices.

harr

No turkey rack here....I use a turkey cooking bag with veg cooking around that. I always remove bag for last half hour of cooking.
I also us a thermometer in the turkey which beeps when it reaches the correct temperature.
This method hasn’t failed me yet and I always get a lovely moist turkey with crispy skin.

the beer revolu

I wouldn't bother.
If I had to roast a turkey (would always poach a crown by choice and roast the boned, stuffed and rolled legs) I'd do it breast down up until the last half hour.

Corvo

Nah, just a trivet of veg (onions, garlic, carrot and celery and fresh herbs) and of course the giblets and some liquid (stock, water) off you go. That's then the basis for your gravy.

Cocksy

i cooked turkey last xmas it was delicious i did it by family recipe

SeanF

Cocksy wrote: »

i cooked turkey last xmas it was delicious i did it by family recipe

Did you use a roasting rack?

SeanF

Pretty much everyone saying don't bother. But has anyone here actually cooked a turkey with one?

Alun

I don't use one like that but I do have one that's a kind of inverted V shape, and adjustable, which I use on the rare occasions I cook whole chickens or turkey crowns. The idea is that you cook it first 'upside down' with the breast bone facing downwards, to keep the breast meat moist, and then turn it over for the final part of cooking, turning up the heat a bit, to brown the skin.

harr

SeanF wrote: »

Pretty much everyone saying don't bother. But has anyone here actually cooked a turkey with one?

I have one which I use mainly for roast beef or rack of lamb...I have cooked chicken and turkey crowns before but not at Christmas as I have my Christmas cooking method sorted.
I just don’t see the need for them or how they would be an advantage for a large turkey.

The Princess Bride

I use a rack and always have done.
I put water in the base of the pan, onion and herbs in the cavity, put the turkey on the rack, breast side down.
No butter/greasing the bird.

I then make a tent with greaseproof paper, around the rack- followed by similar with tinfoil.
I turn the turkey breast side up halfway through then remove all paper/foils 40 minutes from the end.

Cooks a lovely moist turkey and flavoursome gravy.
Some might say I'm steaming it rather than roasting it but it works for us.

I do the same roasting a chicken except I don't use foil or paper.

beer enigma

SeanF wrote: »

Pretty much everyone saying don't bother. But has anyone here actually cooked a turkey with one?

Yep for an experiment last year after Christmas when the turkeys were on sale. I'd read somewhere about cooking the bird upside down so the juice ran through the breast - seemed ideal for the 'v' shape of the roasting rack.

Final result - probably one of the juiciest turkey that I've had, albeit with care (and modesty), most of mine come out well. Impressed with the result, but you don't get that lovely golden skin and the impressions from the rack do sit into the turkey.

Would I do it again......nah, i prefer the traditional way on a bed of veg.

the beer revolu

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

There are dozens of tricks and hacks for cooking turkey to give a lovely moist bird - brining, rack, upside down, poaching, deep frying, injecting, tents, bags, bacon etc. etc..

I have used some of these tricks but the single most important thing to remember with cooking a turkey is that if you overcook it, it will be dry no matter what hack you use.

Get your cooking time right and your bird will be moist.

sniperman

hi all just want to ask if cooking a 15lb bird in a gas oven,and using one of those meat temperature things,(you know the one that sticks into the meat)what readings should i be aiming for?i done a bird last year around same weight,for over 3 hours at gas mark five,looked grand but was still pinkish when i cut deep into it,oh and any tips on using that tin foil?thanks

B0jangles

the beer revolu wrote: »

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

There are dozens of tricks and hacks for cooking turkey to give a lovely moist bird - brining, rack, upside down, poaching, deep frying, injecting, tents, bags, bacon etc. etc..

I have used some of these tricks but the single most important thing to remember with cooking a turkey is that if you overcook it, it will be dry no matter what hack you use.

Get your cooking time right and your bird will be moist.

The only technique that has worked 100% for me is incredibly simple and easy - use a meat thermometer

Last Christmas, my turkey reached the right temperature well over an hour ahead of the planned cooking time - if it had been left in for the 'correct' time, it would have been incinerated.

Honestly, there are good ones on amazon for less than 10 pounds - I'm buying a new one this weekend because my last one got a tiny bit melted.

MEAT THERMOMETER!

dealornodeal23

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I pop my turkey on a bed of sliced onions, garlic cloves & thyme sprigs that I then use to make my gravy while the bird rests.

Racks like those are more suited for joints of meat than whole birds.

Can you tell me how to make the gravy please

harr

B0jangles wrote: »

The only technique that has worked 100% for me is incredibly simple and easy - use a meat thermometer

Last Christmas, my turkey reached the right temperature well over an hour ahead of the planned cooking time - if it had been left in for the 'correct' time, it would have been incinerated.

Honestly, there are good ones on amazon for less than 10 pounds - I'm buying a new one this weekend because my last one got a tiny bit melted.

MEAT THERMOMETER!

That happens a lot ...my mother is insisted on leaving the turkey in the allotted time and then wonders why she has a dry turkey.
As you said most of the time my turkey does be done well before the time going on the weight of turkey..

The Hill Billy

My gravy is a bit of a labour of love.

On Christmas Eve (or before) I make stock first with the turkey giblets, onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves & peppercorns. If I can get a turkey carcass from my butcher, I'll roast it first & add it to the stock pot too.

On the day, I'll roast the turkey on a bed of thickly sliced onions, thyme sprigs & garlic cloves. When the turkey is done I'll transfer it to a large plate to rest & then pour the juices from the pan through a sieve into a pot. I'll mash the onions, thyme & garlic with the back of a ladle to get the most out of them & the bin the mulch.

I'll pop the roasting pan on a medium heat on the hob, sprinkle a couple of spoons of flour on the pan & then a few ladles of hot stock. Give the pan a good scraping to get any bits & pieces off, all the while stirring the flour into the stock.

When you've scraped off all the turkey goodness & the flour is well dissolved, pour the liquid into the pot with the juices. Bring to the boil & reduce if necessary. If too concentrated - just add boiling water to dilute.

CastielJ

i used roasting rack, taste is much better and the meat is softer