How do you cook your turkey

ToRamona · 25-11-2015 7:46pm #1

I heard a recipe on the radio last week for cooking turkey breast and the persons swears its the only way to have a moist turkey.

Boil the turkey breast in chicken stock for two hours, cover in maple syrup and roast for one hour. Has anyone tried this?

I am giving it a go tomorrow to see what it's like.

ads20101 · 25-11-2015 7:51pm

screamer · 25-11-2015 9:13pm

I think that's called broiling it. How do i cook it well first of all stuff it with nice sage breadcrumbs then I seperate the skin from the breast and fill the space with melted butter soy sauce and garlic then I coat the outside in that mixture too then I roast it one hour at 200 then down to about 140 and wait it out

OldMrBrennan83 · 25-11-2015 9:15pm

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ToRamona · 25-11-2015 9:18pm

Patww79 wrote: »

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Do you season it? Is it not very dry?

OldMrBrennan83 · 25-11-2015 9:22pm

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blindside88 · 25-11-2015 9:23pm

I put the turkey in a roasting tray on a wire rack, about a pint or 2 of water underneath and cover in Tim foil. Roast it breast side down for the first 30 - 40 mins then turn over. This allows the juices to keep the breast moist. Make sure that there is water in the roasting dish all of the time.

ToRamona · 25-11-2015 9:23pm

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I want to try something different rather than the usual stuffed turkey and basting it every half hour.

ToRamona · 25-11-2015 9:26pm

blindside88 wrote: »

I put the turkey in a roasting tray on a wire rack, about a pint or 2 of water underneath and cover in Tim foil. Roast it breast side down for the first 30 - 40 mins then turn over. This allows the juices to keep the breast moist. Make sure that there is water in the roasting dish all of the time.

I never heard anyone cooking it like this, it's interesting and I may try it.

eviltwin · 25-11-2015 9:30pm

I put loads of butter under the skin and around the inside to keep it moist, put a few rashers on the top, put it in foil so its like an oven in an oven and check it every so often. That's from Delia Smith's christmas book. I don't eat meat myself so I can't vouch for it but it seems to go down well here.

byhookorbycrook · 25-11-2015 10:27pm

I like to "brine" it overnight, ie soak it in slightly salted water. Then start it breast down in the oven and turn after an hour or so.

blindside88 · 25-11-2015 11:41pm

ToRamona wrote: »

I never heard anyone cooking it like this, it's interesting and I may try it.

I forgot to mention, take the foil off for the last 20 or 30 minutes to allow the skin to crisp up

freshpopcorn · 26-11-2015 6:49am

Patww79 wrote: »

Put it in a large oven bag with not a thing on it and cook it until it goes fairly dry. Normally drain off the liquid from the bag half an hour before cooking so it can dry out and not be soggy from sitting in it.

That's generally how we cook our turkey. I love the taste of Turkey being turkey and not loads of seasonings.

screamer · 26-11-2015 11:33am

I have to coat mine and marinate it can't stand the look of a white anaemic turkey and my mother refuses to eat it. It has to appeal to the eye too :-) mind you I'd prefer a leg of lamb to a turkey any day.

[Deleted User] · 26-11-2015 11:40am

I put butter mixed with dried cranberries and herbs under the skin and streaky bacon on the outside. Keeps it lovely and moist.

I've never been in the Christmas forum before. Hello everyone

RentDayBlues · 26-11-2015 12:22pm

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

I've never been in the Christmas forum before. Hello everyone

Best forum ever!

Mystery Egg · 26-11-2015 12:56pm

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

I've never been in the Christmas forum before. Hello everyone

Welcome! It's like the Hotel California around here. You can check out any time you like...but you can never leave.

beertons · 26-11-2015 5:36pm

I boiled a boned and rolled Turkey in chicken stock last year. Much prefer it to roasting. When my dad found out it wasn't roasted, he said I was mad. But when he ate it, his eyes lit up.

Glitzgirl · 26-11-2015 6:11pm

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Welcome! It's like the Hotel California around here. You can check out any time you like...but you can never leave.

Haha creepy but accurate! You'll never want to leave lol

Glitzgirl · 26-11-2015 6:12pm

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

I've never been in the Christmas forum before. Hello everyone

Welcome strawberry milkshake !

baby and crumble · 26-11-2015 6:56pm

I've never done a turkey in it but slow cooker chicken is THE BEST so I'd love to try it in the slowcooker sometime. Sadly turkeys are flippin massive so no dice.

Usually I treat it very much like a traditional roast chicken. Make a tent out of tinfoil over the bird, stuff mountains of butter up in between the skin and the meat (zero point putting it on top of the skin, it just melts of into the bottom of the dish) and stick a few onions and maybe a lemon up in the cavity. Get your timings right and voila.

A friend of mine did his in ribena one year and said it was really nice but I'm not too sure...

fussyonion · 26-11-2015 7:38pm

I line a large tray with foil, throw in chopped carrots, celery, onions, garlic cloves and fresh parsley and thyme.

I rub a parsley & thyme infused butter under the skin of the turkey and rub.

I rub the rest of this butter all over the bird, lay on streaky rashers, throw some slivers of onion, garlic cloves and half a lemon inside the cavity.

Season the bird with salt and pepper.
Tightly wrap tin foil over the bird and the whole tray, sealing well.

I remove the foil for the last 40 minutes of cooking to allow it to brown.
I've been doing the bird this way for years and it's never dry.

26-11-2015 7:43pm

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

I like to "brine" it overnight, ie soak it in slightly salted water. Then start it breast down in the oven and turn after an hour or so.

I was considering brining mine this year. I've seen a recipe where you brine it in a bucket of herbs and spices for 2 a few days before cooking and it supposedly makes it more moist. Does it make much of a difference?

Posy · 27-11-2015 1:57am

I'm just sticking with my usual method of lashing a load of butter and herbs under the skin and then basting every 4 minutes!
I worry starting it off upside down would flatten it. :pac:

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

I've never been in the Christmas forum before. Hello everyone

Hello!!

RentDayBlues · 27-11-2015 8:20am

I cooked mine breast down one year, forgot I had done that and then when I went to carve it I couldn't get much meat off it. I was disgusted as I had told the butcher I needed it for 6 adults and leftovers

Realised the day after when I went to portion the remaining turkey. I will add I was 8 months pregnant and sleep deprived thanks to a sick toddler

lazeedaisy · 27-11-2015 8:26am

Nigellas way.

In a bucket overnight, with various herbs etc... Then cook a 4.4kg turkey for 2 hours 15 mins, first hour and half upside down, last one to crisp up the top.

Leave to sit for one hour...

Perfect every time.

I did not eat turkey for years, sawdust cooked for hours... But I have to say, this is tried and tested, works every time

Ingredients SWITCH TO CUP MEASURES

for the turkey brining
approx. 6 litres water
1 large orange or 2 smaller (quartered)
250 grams maldon salt (or 125g / ½ cup table salt)
3 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 bouquet garni
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
4 cloves
2 tablespoons allspice berries
4 star anise
2 tablespoons white mustard seeds
200 grams sugar
2 onions (unpeeled and quartered)
1 x 6 cm piece of fresh root ginger (unpeeled and cut into 6 slices)
4 tablespoons maple syrup
4 tablespoons runny honey
stalks from 1 bunch fresh parsley
1 x 5.5 kilograms turkey
for the basting glaze
75 grams goose fat (or butter)
3 tablespoons maple syrup

touts · 27-11-2015 8:34am

I've tried the turkey bags the last couple of years and while the meat has been nice and moist I found the skin sticks to the parts of the bag ruining the appearance of the turkey when I take off the bag. Anyone know how to avoid this?

lazeedaisy · 27-11-2015 9:16am

I stopped using the bags several years ago because of this.

27-11-2015 12:00pm

RentDayBlues wrote: »

I cooked mine breast down one year, forgot I had done that and then when I went to carve it I couldn't get much meat off it. I was disgusted as I had told the butcher I needed it for 6 adults and leftovers

Realised the day after when I went to portion the remaining turkey. I will add I was 8 months pregnant and sleep deprived thanks to a sick toddler

Happened me with a ready cooked chicken from tesco, I took it out of the bag upside down. Ranted and raved to OH about the lack of meat on it and he was just about to take it back and complain when I realised my mistake

I was too embarrassed to tell OH though, I just told him it wouldn't be worth the hassle bringing it back

Funnily enough, I was also pregnant at the time :pac:

Thanks lazeedaisy that was the recipe I was after. I'm going to give it a go and see does it really make a difference. I've seen a few videos of American's deep frying their turkeys but I wouldn't be brave enough to try

lazygal · 27-11-2015 9:31pm

I'm trying Nigella's method this year. I've tried a turkey crown and a full turkey, the 'normal' way and it was fine.

cassid · 02-12-2015 12:43am

I put it on a tray with water to bake slowly.

If a full turkey, loads of butter, and onion, lemon inside and rashers over the top and a few root vegs

Cover with tin foil.

Keep topping up with water.

I cook by eye so could not tell you how long or what temp sorry

How do you cook your turkey

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