This site saved Christmas dinner last year when I did beef, can you help with Turkey?

lil_me

Ok back to the shame of admitting I can't cook something.

Thanks to this site I now cook everything myself, Aunt Bessie can go bankrupt for all I care I don't need her mash, yorkshires etc anymore....I even managed the beef last year which came out so lovely...I was even shocked. I can now do chicken fine aswell. This year I've been either brave or stupid and bought a Turkey, I have never cooked one before

Ok it's 11lb in weight, it's huge, there is 4 of us so plenty of left overs I did ask for small, thankfully, goodness knows what monster size a large one is. I have no idea how to cook it. My partners pet hate is dry meat, he hates dry breast meat especially and usually won't have leg with dinner.

So how do you do yours? There is no way I can squeeze this thing in one of the diddy roasting bags I do my chickens in to keep them moist :rotfl:

I was considering cooking the night before until I read all the horror stories on the 'food traditions' threads and people moaned about cold meat served with dinner. I assume it being a fresh turkey it'll last fine until Tuesday in the fridge

Ok right, now you all know I can't cook turkey, can anyone help save dinner again? I'm off to read the threads on roast potatoes too as I haven't perfected them yet either

rach

lil_me last night jamie oliver rubbed butter under the skin (stuck his hand right up between the skin and the flesh) which he said keeps it moist. i've never cooked one though, so i am sure others will have more tips!

rach

lil_me, also might be worth looking here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wine/main.jhtml?xml=/wine/2007/12/15/edjamie115.xml

nearlyrich

Keep telling yourself it's just a big chicken LOL

You can buy turkey roasting bags if you really need to, I saw them in ALDI today but I am sure you will do a great job.

I put bacon over the breast and butter under the skin, blast it in a very hot oven for 30 mins then turn the heat down and cook it slowly till it's done and I have never had a disaster yet (touching wood LOL)

Good luck but I am sure you will be fine.

moanymoany

This morning I caught the bus to town at the same time as my neighbours. 'Are you having turkey?' they asked, 'or something you like?' lol

I am, in fact, having guinea fowl as we really don't like turkey.

Cook it like a big chicken, not the Nigella way as they tested on the BBC it was still raw! Google for the cooking times. All poultry should be well cooked.

Pollybear

This website was mentioned in the Daily Mail television guide today:

http://www.britishturkey.co.uk/cooking/

quite a lot of helpful stuff on there.

lil_me

moanymoany, I know what you mean, when I lived at home we didn't have turkey because my Dad didn't like it, thankfully I do it's not my favourite and DS1 especially loves it, it's his request that I do turkey this year, he'll probably eat the most of it to be honest.

Pollybear have a giant hug from me, that website is just what I needed, I did search and that one never came up.

I will try that butter under the skin idea, what bacon do I need for covering? Someone said it must be streaky? Also do I put it on at the start?

I am thinking that if it needs to cook for over 3 hours, the bacon would burn?

Turkey roasting bags, right, I'll have a look in Aldis when I go to Tesco, they might have some left (I have to finish the rest of my shopping Christmas eve) to fit this thing in it'll probably be the same size as a bin bag :rotfl:

Ohhhh, that's a point, I don't know if it will fit in the oven, it will, won't it???!!!! Oh double panic...

kethry

lil_me - i have only ever followed Saint Delia's instructions for Turkey.. i got mine out of the christmas book but its done me good every year i've done it.

recipes here and here.

yell if i can help / advise further!

keth
xx

nearlyrich

I am sure an 11lb bird will fit in your oven, I have had an 18lber in mine, we just took the shelves out and used one.

I use bacon bits from my usual supplier of bacon, the guy cures it himself, no brine etc so it's lovely, I get a bag of "bits" to wrap around the turkey breast and I also use some for pigs in blankets.

It is pretty crispy at the end but I love cremated bacon LOL. I put some foil on loosely once I have done the 30 mins at high temp so the bacon doesn't actually burn.

lil_me

Thanks. Those instructions look pretty straight forward. My son has decided I have to cook the stuffing seperate because he doesn't like it. So it'll be going in unstuffed (no you can't reason with him that he won't have to eat it) Oh, I didn't check but it's more than likely got gibblies in, urgh, I best drag them out before I forget. Oh see I just panic all the time. I need to buy a roasting tin this naffing budgie won't fit in mine :rotfl: Does fit in the oven just not the tin!

Any suggestions on tins, I can get to TKMaxx, Sainsburys, HomeBargains, Aldi, Tesco, erm, think that is about it when it comes to shops before Xmas that do tins. Suppose I should measure this birdy see how big a tin I need.

Right, I have the homecured bacon I always get, it stays the same size but he does do streaky, I might go back and get some of that, keep the back for butties

nearlyrich

Asda do really cheap big tins, I think Tesco do too, TKMaxx will do them but they sell better quality ones and it won't be cheap...I usually buy new tins every couple of years as they rust in the garage in between LOL.

I always cook the stuffing seperate, use my grandma's recipe and I make enough for most people to take some home...