cooking a turkey,,any helpful ideas on how to cook it??

Question

need help,,12lb turkey

Answer 1

Sure do...........here ya go and good luck and don't stress about it.......really quite easy, the knack is getting the timing down......

Glazed Roast Turkey with Cranberry Stuffing

Stuffing
1 cup butter or margarine
3 medium celery stalks (with leaves), chopped (1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
9 cups soft bread cubes (15 slices) or cornbread cubes
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Turkey
1 whole turkey (12 lb), thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
Cranberry-Apple Glaze
1 can (8 oz) jellied cranberry sauce
1/4 cup apple jelly
1/4 cup light corn syrup


1. Heat oven to 325°F. In 10-inch skillet, melt 1 cup butter over medium heat. Cook celery and onion in butter, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Stir in about one-third of the bread cubes. Place in large bowl. Add remaining bread cubes and remaining stuffing ingredients; toss.
2. Stuff turkey just before roasting. Fill wishbone area with stuffing first. Fasten neck skin to back with skewer. Fold wings across back with tips touching. Fill body cavity lightly. (Do not pack--stuffing will expand while cooking.) Tuck drumsticks under band of skin at tail, or tie together with heavy string, then tie to tail.
3. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Brush with 2 tablespoons butter. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not touch bone. Do not add water.
4. Roast uncovered, following Timetable for approximate total cooking time. Thermometer will read 180ºF when turkey is done, and the drumstick should move easily when lifted or twisted. Roast until juice is no longer pink when center of thigh is cut. Thermometer placed in center of stuffing will read 165ºF when done. If a meat thermometer is not used, begin testing for doneness about 30 minutes before Timetable indicates. (See Timetable for Roasting Poultry for exact times.)
5. In 1-quart saucepan, mix all glaze ingredients. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Brush glaze on turkey about 20 minutes before turkey is done.
6. Place a tent of foil loosely over turkey when it begins to turn golden. When two-thirds done, cut band of skin or string holding legs. When turkey is done, place on warm platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Let stand about 15 minutes for easiest carving. To serve, brush again with glaze before carving.



Nutrition Information:

1 Serving: Calories 550 (Calories from Fat 290 ); Total Fat 32 g (Saturated Fat 8 g); Cholesterol 125 mg; Sodium 580 mg; Total Carbohydrate 25 g (Dietary Fiber 1 g); Protein 42 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 14 %; Vitamin C 2 %; Calcium

Answer 2

What Kind of Turkey Should I Buy?

There are basically two types of raw birds to choose from…a pre-basted bird (typical ingredients include vegetable oil, broth and spices) or an un-basted bird to which nothing has been added. Personal preference usually dictates this choice. USDA Grade A is the highest quality grade for poultry and the one commonly found in grocery stores.


Is a Tom Better than A Hen?

Age not gender, is the determining factor for tenderness. All turkeys in the market are young, usually 4 – 6 months old. A hen usually weighs less than 16 pounds and a tom is usually over 16 pounds.


When Should I Buy the Turkey?

While the quality and the taste of frozen and fresh turkey are similar, The keeping time is not! A frozen turkey can be bought weeks or a month prior to the holiday, while a fresh bird should be purchased a day or two prior to cooking.

Whenever possible, thaw your frozen turkey in the refrigerator. Count on 5 lbs. thawing each day, so a 15 pound turkey will take three days. Remember to place the turkey in a pan so that any juices won’t drip on other foods. If you don’t have that kind of space or time, thaw your bird in a cold water bath. A 15 pound turkey could take at least 8 hours this way. Please do not thaw poultry by leaving it at room temperature in your sink. This could allow unwanted bacteria a nice holiday home.

To prepare your turkey for roasting, always remove the giblets and the neck from the cavities. There are TWO cavities! Wash your bird in cold running water thoroughly, inside and out, then dry with a clean lint free towel. (Then wash the towel) If you are going to stuff the bird, pack the cavities loosely, as the stuffing will expand during the cooking process.


How much should I Buy?

3/4 of a pound of raw turkey per person will usually do the trick, however I recommend 1+ pound per person to allow for leftovers.

Is it Done?

Thermometer Readings:

Insert your instant read thermometer between the body and leg into the meaty part of the thigh. Look for a reading of 160 – 165 degrees. When you remove the thermometer, the juices should run clear. If you must test the turkey in the breast, which I don’t recommend, look for 160 – 165 degrees on a whole bird. Remember that the breast will be done before the thighs, so watch for this critical period in the cooking time.


Pound per Minute Method:

All ovens cook differently, so these times are approximate. On an unstuffed turkey, figure 15 – 17 minutes per pound at 325 degrees. On a stuffed bird, figure 20 – 23 minutes per pound.
12-16 pounds…about 4 hours unstuffed
16-20 pounds…about 5 hours unstuffed
20-24 pounds…about 6 hours unstuffed


Resting Period:

Allow at least one minute per pound before carving. That turkey is still cooking when it first comes out of the oven.

Should I cook the turkey Up-Side-Down?

Pros:

Your turkey breast will be moister and more flavorful this way, as the juices from the back cook down into your bird. This is better than having all the juices from your turkey adding flavor and moisture to the back bone!


Cons:

If presentation is critical, this may not be your best choice as the turkey breast will not brown properly unless you have it on a rack. Turning a turkey while roasting is not recommended! Cooked turkeys explode when they hit your kitchen floor and sure enough, someone will have a camera!

Answer 3

My best tip is to roast it upside down for the first 3/4 of the roasting time. The juices in the dark meat find its way into the white meat leaving both white and dark meat very juicy. Turn it over for the rest of the time to finish roasting.

Answer 4

They have turkey fryers now. They are not that expensive and it is worth it. It will come with complete instructions as well. You have to try a deep fryed turkey!!

Answer 5

Your hen breast will bypass authentic in a healthful stir-fry. sparkling vegetables that you've with the breast reduce into strips. or you may steam the breast, reduce it into small cubes, blend with diced apple, grapes reduce in 1/2, diced onion, (water chestnuts diced once you've them), diced pecans or walnuts. The dressing is: a million/2 cup mayonnaise a million tsp curry a million T prepared mustard Salt and pepper to style blend the dressing into the hen blend. position a lettuce depart on each and each and every of your 2 plates and position the hen Waldorf Salad on the lettuce. Serve with a touch fruit on the aspect (like orange slices or possibly some grapes. wish that facilitates.

Answer 6

Cook it from refrigerator, it will taste better. Heat it at 300 for 10 minutes per pound.

Answer 7

deep fry it