Roast Turkey Handy Cooking Hints

Roast turkey

ronnymarcus 17 years ago

How do you stop a turkey from drying up while roasting?

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tnacndn 17 years ago said:

I'm afraid I can't help you with this question. In all my years of cooking I have NEVER cooked a turkey. The only time we have turkey is if we go to someone else's house for a holiday dinner. We don't care for it ourselves so when a holiday meal is at my house I always do a ham and my sister will sometimes bring a turkey. I'm sure someone here will know the answer though!

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toleliz 17 years ago said:

I brine my bird with great results. Use 1 cup of salt per gallon of water if you are brining from 4-6 hours and if you have more time say like 12 hours then use a ratio of 1/2 cup per gallon. I usually don't add anything more than salt to the water but I've seen lots of recipes with other things added to the brine. This method shouldn't be used with a Kosher bird or with a self basting bird. I usually buy a regular (frozen) turkey that is about 12 to 14 pounds. I have a cooler that I use just for brining turkey because I don't have room in my fridge. Anyway-usually I make the weaker salt solution and brine the turkey overnight. The following morning I turn my oven to about 200F rinse the bird and dry it and rub some spices and seasoning on it- usually garlic and paprika-it doesn't need more salt. I put it into the oven uncovered and leave it there for the day. I check it every hour or so and baste it occasionally but essentially leave it alone to do its thing. It takes about 8 hours more or less. I check it a couple of hours before dinner and take the temperature; if it is close to being done I turn the oven as low as it will go and if it seems to be slow I turn it up a bit. Like I said 8 hours at 200 is a pretty good rule of thumb. The meat is succulent and moist, the bird gets a fantastic mahogany colour like in cookbooks and you get to spend the day doing other stuff. I know that this sounds a bit unconventional, I thought so too at first but it really works and a bonus is that your oven stays clean too. My husband loves turkey and I made it for him but I was not fond of it till I started to make it this way and now I love it too. I usually make the dressing separately not in the bird.

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toleliz 17 years ago said:

I forgot to mention that the bird has to be thawed out before you start to brine it because you need to get the giblets and neck out of it.

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jencathen 17 years ago said:

I also brine my turkey. My recipe is on this site. Here is the link.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/54614/roasted-brined-turkey.html

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divaliscious 17 years ago said:

I've never brined my turkey, but cooking it on her breast side down for most of the cooking has always worked very nicely for me. The other thing is to slow roast it, which means not having the oven at 350.... unless its at the begining and at the end...to help crisp up skin...
basting is always good too - and start with a room temp. bird.

Brining sounds fun though, must try it next time! thanks for sharing the recipe!

though I roast my bird for 20/pound at 325.

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