There are two big problems with cooking a Thanksgiving turkey:

1. People listen to the “gourmets” Do not roast a turkey uncovered. They do that to make it a “beautiful presentation.” Most of us cut up the bird before we put it on the table, anyway. It is very difficult to get the dark meat done without overcooking the breast this way. It’s much better to do what your grandma did, and tightly cover the turkey with aluminum foil and/or a good lid. If you’re worried about the skin sticking to the foil, you can butter or oil the breast, or put the foil on after about 15 minutes. For a pretty golden bird, uncover it for the last 30 minutes or so. Wonderful, moist tender turkey will result.

And trust the pop-up timers. Except for the very rare instances where they get jammed and never pop at all, they work! The timer is held in by a bit of plastic that melts at 180 degrees. Plastic melts, popper comes up. It’s science. Take the bird out of the oven.

2. Buy a frozen, pre-basted turkey for great results with less fuss. Most commercially packed birds come already basted with a solution of broth and seasonings. Nothing overwhelming, just something to help keep the breast moist. It saves you the bother of brining or injecting or constant basting. And unless you buy from a local farmer, your frozen bird is just as fresh as the “fresh” birds you get at the grocery store. Turkeys are flash frozen in a freezer much colder than the one you have at home within minutes of processing and bagging. You can’t get any fresher. “Fresh” birds are held at 32 degrees for up to a couple of months, or simply frozen birds thawed out by the meat department. I wouldn’t pay extra for either.

And about the stuffing. Just stick a thermometer in it before you take it out of the bird. It should read at least 160 degrees. If not, put it in a bowl and put in back in the oven for a bit, or use the microwave. No worries.

Hope this helps.

Sharon

As for setting the table the night before: you can set the table without fragile glasses, or no glasses, and then cover the whole thing with a tablecloth or sheet. I have cats too!

And why wouldn’t you want to eat the stuffing?

I’m very confused.

The tip about starting off roasting at a higher temp is good. Also rub the skin with butter and the skin will crisp and brown nicely.

I had fried turkey once…man was that yummy…I don’t have a fryer and I would probably set my place on fire if I tried it though.

And regarding frying a turkey — DELICIOUS! And for those that cringe at thethought of deep fried anything, as long as you do it right, it isn’t actually any fattier (or very minimally so). The hot oil basically just seals the skin to make the inside moisture stay in. Similar to Trent’s tip of starting out extra hot I imagine.

Best thing about it is it only takes about 45 min for a 15lb turkey!

just don’t burn down the house.

HA! This (and setting out the dry ingredients) is known as “setting up a cat playground” in our house. We have four cats, and they would descend on the table setting like flies on, well, you know.

I suspect this is also a sketchy thing if you have kids…

But otherwise, yeah, good stuff. :)

In the stuff-for-flavor dept., try adding some apple to the mix. Apple & onion = a good flavor combination, and apples are also wonderful for moisturizing poultry.

I like to stuff chickens with either cut-up apples or cut-up oranges before baking. Orange, in particular, lends a nice, subtle flavor to the white meat, and it really gives you a nice, moist cooked bird. Never tried that with a turkey, though–I buy unfrozen, unadulterated turkeys and yea, verily, I most surely do stuff ‘em with my great-grandmother’s magnificent stuffing.