Do you know how to cook a turkey?

Question

When do you put the cheesecloth on a turkey? I heard if you saturate cheesecloth with butter and then lay it on the turkey it keeps it moist and turns it golden brown... Is this true?

Answer 1

This was in the tips section of "Woman's World" magazine...

"Cover a turkey with cheesecloth soaked in melted butter or olive oil, and it will baste itself! Remove it during the last 30 minutes of baking to let the skin brown."

Answer 2

Not sure about the cheesecloth but Alton Brown on the Food Network website has the best recipe. I tried it and it's excellent. You soak it in a brine mixture overnight. When your'e ready to bake, stuff the cavity with herbs, lemon, etc.. Then it bakes for half an hour at 500 and the rest at 350. The brine and the herbs give it flavor and the half hour at 500 seals in the juices to make it the most tender bird ever.

Answer 3

Put the turkey in a cooking bag, set at 350 for 1 hour per 5.5 pounds, comes out great. Oh add 1 stick of butter, not marjorine...butter! Rub all over turkey before cooking. Yummy

Answer 4

I don't put the cheesecloth, until maybe toward the end. I clean it, I stick one of them plastic turkey thermoters in it, pop it in the oven, at the temp given on the wrapper and bake for how long it says for the size. I baste it, once and awhile.

Answer 5

I agree with Patti that Alton Brown has an awesome brine recipe. My brother in law makes it for Thanksgiving, and everyone loves it. Just remember if you use the Turkey Tent remember to shape it before you stick it in the oven fro the first half hour, when you drop it to 350 place the tent on the breast then. Turkey tent is simple aluminum foil.

Answer 6

Here's how:
http://webpages.csus.edu/~sac24954/
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I use an oven bag for cooking the Turkey and use this recipe------comes out juicy and delicious, cooks in less time...won't cook a Turkey any other way but this!

Herb Roasted Holiday Turkey
http://www.alcoa.com/reynoldskitchens/en/recipes/product_recipe_search.asp?Step=ShowRecipe&RecipeID=906&parent_info_page_id=744&info_page_id=745&prod_id=1790&cat_id=1337

Answer 7

SMOKED WHOLE TURKEY

1 (12 to 14-pound) turkey
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups hot water
1 1/2 cups coarse salt
2 1/2 quarts cold water
2 tsp peppercorns
5 large bay leaves
3 large cloves garlic, halved
2 cups Chablis or other dry white wine

Remove giblets and next from turkey; reserve for other uses. Rinse thoroughly with cold water; pat dry and set aside.
Combine brown sugar, hot water and salt in large stock pot, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in next 4 ingredients. Carefully place turkey in stock pot, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning and basting with brine solution occasionally.

Remove turkey from brine, and rinse thoroughly with cold water; pat dry. Discard brine solution.

Prepare charcoal fire in smoker according to manufacturer's instructions. Let burn 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle about 2 cups soaked and drained wood chips over hot charcoal. Place water pan in smoker, and pour in wine. Add enough hot water to fill pan.

Place turkey on food rack, breast side down; prop body cavity open to permit air circulation. Cover with smoked lid; smoke 6 to 7 hours, refilling water pan with additional water, if needed. (Time may vary with outdoor temperature and individual smoker.) Turkey is done when drumsticks are easy to move or meat thermometer registers 180 degrees. Let stand at least 15 minutes before carving; or cool to room temperature and chill. Yield: 24 to 28 servings.

NOTE: Brining adds to the authenticity of the flavor but is not absolutely necessary. The turkey is soaked overnight in a salt water solution that includes seasonings. If you choose to omit brining, season the turkey with salt, pepper, garlic and herbs.)
Hope you enjoy...

Answer 8

This recipe uses cheese cloth and is fantastic, but I have found the reynold's cooking bag method to be the easiest.

Maple Roast Turkey with Riesling Gravy

Serves 8
After the first 30 minutes of roasting, if no butter has accumulated in the roasting pan, melt four tablespoons unsalted butter and add three tablespoons turkey stock; baste with this mixture.


1 fourteen-pound fresh turkey, neck and giblets removed and reserved for stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cornbread Sourdough Stuffing

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup Riesling wine

2 cups Homemade Turkey Stock , or low-sodium canned chicken broth, skimmed of fat

2/3 cup seedless red and green grapes, each cut in half

1. Heat oven to 425° with rack in lowest third of oven. Wash turkey inside and out with cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels. Tuck wing tips under body. Generously season neck, body cavities, and underside with salt and pepper.

2. Loosely fill the neck cavity with the stuffing. Using wooden skewers or toothpicks, secure the flap. Holding the turkey upright, loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Pull the legs together, and tie them with kitchen twine. Heap on additional stuffing so that it is bulging out of the cavity. Generously sprinkle salt and pepper over the bird, and set it on a rack in a roasting pan.

3. Cut a double layer of cheesecloth to fit over the entire turkey. Melt 4 tablespoons butter. Place cheesecloth in the butter, completely soaking cloth. Drape cheesecloth over the bird.

4. Place turkey in the oven, and roast 30 minutes. Baste with butter that has accumulated in the pan. Reduce heat to 350°, and loosely cover bird with a large piece of aluminum foil; roast 30 minutes more. Baste again. Continue roasting, basting once an hour, until a meat thermometer registers 180° in the leg and 170° in the breast, about 3 hours.

5. During the last half hour of roasting, place grated ginger in a small, double layer of cheesecloth; squeeze juice into a small saucepan. Add maple syrup and 1 tablespoon butter. Heat the mixture until the butter has melted and is bubbling. Remove the maple-syrup glaze from heat.

6. Remove foil tent and cheesecloth from bird, and discard. Brush glaze over bird several times during last half hour. Remove turkey from the oven, and transfer to a carving board. Let rest 30 minutes before carving.

7. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with flour, and mix together until smooth; set aside. Pour pan drippings into a fat separator or glass measuring cup, and let stand 10 minutes. If using a fat separator, carefully return juices to pan; discard fat. If using a measuring cup, use a spoon to skim fat from top, and return juices to pan.

8. Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium-high heat. Pour wine into the pan, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up any brown bits on bottom. Cook liquid until reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Add turkey stock, and cook until reduced again by half, about 7 minutes.

9. Pass the gravy through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, and pour into a small saucepan. Whisk in the reserved butter-flour mixture until the butter has melted. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let gravy simmer until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Add red and green grapes to the gravy; serve gravy with turkey.

Answer 9

roast turkey in oven for 5 hours till crispy and roasted first season to liking and every hour drench it in its turkey broth and seasonings to keep it moist add herbs parsley paprika salt pepper and continue to drench in turkey broth to keep moist and juicy and