Technique: Turkey Cooking

robklurfield

robklurfield

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Off-topic for sure, but today being Thanksgiving here in the States, I'm sure our mods will let this one pass. How do you cook your holiday repast? This is our third year deep-frying our bird. 43 minutes for souping our 12.7 pound turkey (1:7 dilution of Dektol at 350 degrees F). In progress as I type:

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Fast, juicy and delicious to eat. Just don't cook too close to any buildings as the holiday is no time to make your family homeless by igniting your living quarters. Highly-recommended. First time we tried this, my entire family thought I was nuts. Now they all ask what time the turkey drop happens.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!
 
we don't eat Turkey, but here's how we prepared our stuffing:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3/4 cup water (pure, RO), 1/2 cup apple cider.

Add a package of herb seasoned stuffing mix after boiling, and mix it up well with a fork, keep it simmering until serving.
 
I've raised a few turkeys and ducks and dozens of chickens. The skin keeps the meat juicy if you roast it but if you're going to cook it some other way it's really a lot easier to skin the bird than to pluck it. Turkey makes great soup and stew. Breaded and deep fried I prefer it to chicken. If you do raise a bird from a chick yourself let it forage around the yard eating grass and leaves and bugs like they would in the wild. The meat will be much tastier. Never give the bird a name. It isn't that difficult to kill a turkey but many people can't bring themselves to lopping Suzie's head off and you'll never convince the kids to eat her.

The best stuffing I ever tasted was made with water chestnuts and apples but I don't know the recipe.
 
robklurfield said:
Off-topic for sure, but today being Thanksgiving here in the States, I'm sure our mods will let this one pass. How do you cook your holiday repast? This is our third year deep-frying our bird. 43 minutes for souping our 12.7 pound turkey (1:7 dilution of Dektol at 350 degrees F). In progress as I type:

4136829190_f108ce0d0a_m.jpg
4136829304_945f1d9734_m.jpg


4136829436_d51bc38969_b.jpg


Fast, juicy and delicious to eat. Just don't cook too close to any buildings as the holiday is no time to make your family homeless by igniting your living quarters. Highly-recommended. First time we tried this, my entire family thought I was nuts. Now they all ask what time the turkey drop happens.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!
Click to expand...
Looks great, but my back yards a bit too cold and damp now!.....I wonder if 'Canned Heat' took their name from this? (there I go - dating myself again!)
Dave.
 
This year it was warm enough to fry a turkey--it was about 50 f today here. Most years it has been too cold and too windy; if the oil isn't retaining enough heat, the bird will not be crispy and tender it will just be greasy. I will deep fry one for Easter, but November has generally been too cold so I wasn't set up to fry one this year.
So, I did a traditional oven roasted bird. I take out all the goodies that come packed inside the turkey--neck, heart, gizzard, kidneys, and liver--and save 'em to use in the gravy.
Pat the bird dry, outside and in, then coat the skin with a little bit of good olive oil and season like crazy. What ever seasonings you like, I like basil, rosemary, black pepper, paprika, garlic, and lemon zest. I don't usually stuff the bird but I do put some apples and onions--cut into large chunks--into the cavity. Into the pan, cover loosely with foil, and into the oven at 325f for about 12 minutes a pound. Take the foil off for the last 1/2 hour or 45 minutes to get some good color/crispy on the outside. Remove the turkey from the oven when your meat thermometer reads about 165f. Let the bird rest for about 15 or 20 minutes before you start to carve. This is a VERY IMPORTANT step for two reasons:
If you try to carve as soon as the bird is out of the oven, you will most likely end up with a nice pile of shredded and dry turkey.
And
You want the bird to be very near to 180f before you eat it, the turkey will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven and if you wait until the temp is 180 and then take the bird out it will be over done by the time that you carve.
Hope everybody had a good turkey day!
Rob
 
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We do the Traditional Turkey in the oven type dinner with all the trimmings and pumpkin pie for dessert...
I just eye-balled a whole untouch pumpkin pie sitting on the kitchen table...I'm set for the next few days...
My wife just announced that there's a lot of turkey leftover...life is good...
 
Not a meat-eater here, but if I was going to go off the deep end, I say go all-out, all-pro, all-Madden. Turducken.

(Side note - all the burners and pots make me misty for my home-brewing setup back in the states)
 
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I got invited to eat at the home of an old friend. There were about thirty people there, loads of food, and lots of good conversation. I shot close to a roll of film with my 15mm lens. Then I got a call from a lady friend concerned that I might not have gotten enough leftovers to take home with me. Shortly after returning home she showed up with containers of turkey, gravy, sweet potatos, pie, etc. I have to eat fast and make room to put some film back in the fridge!
 
Fried turkey is a winner

Fried turkey is a winner

robklurfield said:
Off-topic for sure, but today being Thanksgiving here in the States, I'm sure our mods will let this one pass. How do you cook your holiday repast? This is our third year deep-frying our bird. 43 minutes for souping our 12.7 pound turkey (1:7 dilution of Dektol at 350 degrees F). In progress as I type:

Fast, juicy and delicious to eat. Just don't cook too close to any buildings as the holiday is no time to make your family homeless by igniting your living quarters. Highly-recommended. First time we tried this, my entire family thought I was nuts. Now they all ask what time the turkey drop happens.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!
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Same here in Michigan: Heat up the oil to 250deg, drop the bird, heat up to 350, fry for another 15 minutes, pull out the bird, let it rest for 60 minutes. Done.
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Very important: Have a fire extinguisher ready, even if you just rent the place.
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Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Fire extinguisher??? Are you some kind of wimp???😀

But, seriously, DON'T DO THAT SO CLOSE TO YOUR HOUSE NEXT TIME. This is a great method of cooking, but people do burn their houses down. BE CAREFUL! You're scaring me here. Anyway, I am sure the bird was delicious and you look as if you're having a great time. Like photograph, the goal behind cooking this way, however, is to come back alive.
adietrich said:
Same here in Michigan: Heat up the oil to 250deg, drop the bird, heat up to 350, fry for another 15 minutes, pull out the bird, let it rest for 60 minutes. Done.

Very important: Have a fire extinguisher ready, even if you just rent the place.

Happy Thanksgiving!
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Butterflied the bird, seasoned in a good jerk paste since Monday, high temp-roasted over coals, added mesquite for smoke. Nobody complained.
;-)
 
flip said:
Not a meat-eater here, but if I was going to go off the deep end, I say go all-out, all-pro, all-Madden. Turducken.

http://www.sport*****le.com/article:420/john-maddens-thanksgiving-turducken-recipe
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If you want to do a turduckeon, Paul Prudhomme's recipe is much better. Or I can send you mine. I did it for my family/friends three years in a row until my dad decided "it's too much work." His job was to buy the duck, my job was to spend most of the Wednesday before actually putting it together. And I didn't mind.
As well, after the first year, I skipped the chicken and used an appropriate sized and butterflied pork loin instead.

And, adietrich, that fryer is much too close to the house as robklurfield says. Fire extinguisher or not, if your turkey was still even a little frozen or wet you'd have had some big problems.
Rob
 
For Christmas, try a free range turkey from Trader Joe or butcher. I had my first yesterday and it is way better than any fresh or frozen regular bird.
 
Some people just will not change.

I can only imagine a free range or pastured turkey on the Webber. The Webber is my first choice of cooking any time, any place. Not those gas things either.
 
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