Screw that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xc5wIpUenQ
But really, I try to keep my things simple. Use quality ingredients, done.
any1 tried a turkeykeykey? like a turkey ina turkey (good luck finding a oven
Wow, OP, that sounds like you had an awesome turkey.
I was not in charge of cooking the turkey this year, sadly. Although I did hickory smoke a turkey on the grill a few years ago, and that was pure concentrated amazing.
That's over there in the ladies section, ma'am -------->
http://thetrashcanturkey.com/
Like everything else in terms of cooking, if something is always dry/tasteless/etc. then you need to find new cooks because they're terrible. Plus you probably need to brush your teeth/tongue because the residue of previous drinks (especially coffee and tea) dramatically mask/alter the flavor of foods.
If you have a typical convention oven (i.e. air isn't circulated inside) then put the bird on the lowest rack. The coil on the bottom will help to bring up the temperature of the legs/thighs so that both sides of the bird cook evenly.
I hate it when people read to let a bird (chicken or turkey) to cook to 165F before pulling it out: you may as well prepare to eat jerky then because that temperature's going to rise another 10-15 degrees because of the size. Poke the thigh with a thermometer and if it comes out around 155~ with clear juice get it out of the damned oven. Let a bird rest for half of the cooking time: if you need to cook a large one for 6 hours, then let it rest (covered either with foil or a roasting rack lid) for 3. Shocking I know, but you'd be surprised to learn (or find out yourself) that the pan will still be hot to handle and the bird will still be steaming when sliced, not to mention that the muscle tissue will have a chance to re-absorb the water released during cooking.
Plus, if you actually let it rest properly (half an hour is not resting for a turkey: that's getting sidetracked peeling potatoes and forgetting about it) you can drain the juices out of the pan ahead of time, place them in a container and put them in the freezer for 45-60 minutes, scrap away the solid fat on the top, and be left with a really "clean" base for a gravy.
Bumping this for this year! My turkey this year is a Pear and Port Wine glaze and a Challah stuffing with Leeks, Italian Sausage, and Currants. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Happy Thanksgiving!
And I stand by my now year old post above. Keeps the turkey out of the kitchen so it saves you lots of oven space, and keeps the kitchen from being 105F all damn day. Cramped space for cooking + overheated kitchen + family pressure = grumpy cook. Be a man and cook your turkey in the dirt!
Someones never had dark meat...
OT: I kept it simple this year. Make an herb butter spread that I rubbed in between the skin and the meat. I stuffed the turkey with a mix of fresh poultry herbs, onions, celery, and garlic. Baked in a convection oven with the mandatory basting.
In my opinion, its all about the gravy. The turkey is just the vehicle that brings the gravy into your mouth.
It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.
Don't eat turkey. Tastes horrible
I will be grilling my salmon though. Mmmm.
http://thingsihaveneverdone.wordpress.com
Just started my 24/7 LoFi stream. Come listen!
https://youtu.be/3uv1pLbpQM8
Which turkey?
<---- don't celebrate thanksgiving, cause we in the Netherlands don't celebrate that!