Turkey Help-Swear words have been uttered

jexygirl

The idea of sawing it in half is a good one - specially as I saw a tip on one of those cooking programmes that said to break the bones / ribcage to get more flavour before cooking birds!
Alternatively the butcher / local pub / nearby people sounds good for freezer space.
Sorry I can't be more help, I would probably defrost it in the fridge so it took longer, then cook it off and freeze in portions for a lazy xmas day and just warm it through in some stock on the day!
Im not sure how much I would rely on the weather for a constant temp!
Whatever happens, you will giggle as you eat it, that you bought it and it wouldnt fit
Have a good one!
Jex

looby-loo_2

No offence but that is so funny, just imagining it all wrapped up in the rabbit run:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

paybacktime2008

The turkey v freezer case has come to a close. One of my other neighbours has it nestled safely in their chest freezer and I have lots of their gateauxs and party food in mine!

I was loathe to cook it before the big day as it is the first time my son has had a proper turkey. We have usually had beef due to one relative disliking turkey. I liked the electric saw idea....extreme cooking at it's finest.

Thanks everyone.

cyclingyorkie

glad its worked out for you!

misskool

one year we had ours in the boot of the car that should be a good place for it to stay overnight

julieq

Turkeys are often hung anyway, and they'll last a while even when defrosted but rabbit hutches don't sound the best place because of the minor risk of nasty bacteria. In this situation I'd have let it defrost naturally then left it in a cool place. I'd be pretty sure this is where my turkey is at the moment (the supremely wonderful Kelly Bronze, if you can get one, try it), in some cold shed somewhere.

Just while on the subject of turkey, can I add the advice that when cooked, you can rest a turkey for a good 45 minutes without it going cold, and it tastes better for doing that. It then gives you loads of lovely stress free leeway for getting potatoes roasted and crispy and gravy made without having to worry about synchronising everything to the second.

There was a very good thread on this last year, it is a bit of a leap of faith if you're not used to the idea, but it really does work.

And the best of luck to the OP on the son's first turkey, I'm sure it'll be lovely and be a wonderful memory for him. Nothing quite beats the sight of a turkey and trimmings being wheeled out for the dinner.

looby-loo_2

julieq wrote: »

Just while on the subject of turkey, can I add the advice that when cooked, you can rest a turkey for a good 45 minutes without it going cold, and it tastes better for doing that. It then gives you loads of lovely stress free leeway for getting potatoes roasted and crispy and gravy made without having to worry about synchronising everything to the second.

There was a very good thread on this last year, it is a bit of a leap of faith if you're not used to the idea, but it really does work.

Please, please would you come round and show my husband that this really does work - that meat is better for being rested. He refuses to have it removed from the oven until the veg is all done - then complains that the veg is not perfect because I need to keep it waiting for him to carve. In 27 years, on the odd occasion that I've managed to sneak any joint out 20 mins or so before, he has commented on how good and juicy it was but when I told him this is what I did he'll say, 'ahh! good flavour but a bit cold':mad:

Essex-girl_2

Looby-loo - Did you see Jamies at Home Christmas this week - he leaves his turkey to rest for up to 1.5 hours.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

have you got a petshop that sell fish? ( Bare with me....lo...)


they get their fish delivered in big polyboxes, one of these would be ideal as it will keep the temp,

like this one

http://www.p-a-c-s.co.uk/images/Polystyrene%20box.jpg


i have also seen brocoli delivered in these to local fruit and veg stores too

misskool

looby-loo wrote: »

Please, please would you come round and show my husband that this really does work - that meat is better for being rested. He refuses to have it removed from the oven until the veg is all done - then complains that the veg is not perfect because I need to keep it waiting for him to carve. In 27 years, on the odd occasion that I've managed to sneak any joint out 20 mins or so before, he has commented on how good and juicy it was but when I told him this is what I did he'll say, 'ahh! good flavour but a bit cold':mad:

It's scientifically proven that meats need to rest. As meat roasts, its juices are expelled the only place they can go-outward. As the outer layers heat up, which are receiving the direct heat, they expel their juices, becoming desiccated and dry. Resting the meat simply makes the juices that remained in the center (because the center did not get hot enough to expel all its juices) redistribute outward to the more dry outer regions of the meat. See Herve This, Molecular Gastronomy, Exploring the Science of Flavor, Ch. 9, p. 47.

Guess what book I'm reading at the moment :rotfl: