Any tips for cooking a turkey?

Answer 1

Try this! Modify the flavors as needed, but this is pretty darn good...

BRINE:
3 cups cider
2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 gallon iced water

GRAVY:
2 cups vegetable broth
1 whole onion, peeled and quartered
1 stock celery
1 carrot, peeled
Giblets
Skimmed pan drippings
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp butter

STUFFING:
Re-useable cotton bag
1 quart vegetable stock
4 ounces dried mushrooms
4 ounces sweet Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 cup chopped shallot
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 cups Challah bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 whole eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


BRINE
Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

STUFFING
Heat the stock in the microwave in a large microwave-proof container. Place mushrooms in a glass bowl and pour heated broth over them. Cover and allow to sit for 35 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl toss the onion, celery, and green pepper with the oil and salt. Place the vegetables on a sheet pan and roast for 35 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, spread the cubed bread over the vegetables, return to the oven, and continue cooking.
Drain mushrooms, reserving 1 cup of liquid. Chop the mushrooms and place in a large
microwave-proof bowl with the vegetables and bread, reserved chicken stock, sausage, eggs, sage, parsley and black pepper. Stir well in order to break up pieces of bread. Use your hands to combine, if necessary. Heat the stuffing in a microwave on high power for 6 minutes.

COOKING
A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.
While the stuffing is heating, rub the bird with oil salt and pepper. Working quickly, place the stuffing into the cavity of the turkey to avoid losing heat.
Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm to 155 degrees.
DO NOT BASTE
A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting.

When meat reaches 155, siphon off pan juices, set aside. Cover pan with foil. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove turkey from oven, wrap in a clean blanket, set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Let pan drippings separate; skim off fat use what’s left to make gravy

GRAVY:
Combine broth, vegetables and giblets in a large saucepan, cover and bring to boil. When mixture reaches boil, reduce to simmering for 1 hour
Strain mixture to separate liquid, add pan drippings, return to low heat
Melt flour in a medium skillet, when butter smells slightly nutty, add flour, stir into paste, add to saucepan mixture, season to taste, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer, allow to reduce to desired thickness.

Answer 2

The most important thing is to get a good thermometer and watch the internal temp. The most common mistake people make is serving turkey that is too dry or too raw. You need to know when the inside is just perfect. The rest is just a matter of personal taste and experimentation (glazes, cooking methods, stuffing etc). Just don't put the stuffing inside. Other than that, with a good meat thermometer you are good to go.

Answer 3

yes u make stuffing put it in the turkey put the turkey in the oven cook the turkey every 5 lbs for 20 min n u tack the turkey out when it is brown or the way u like it

Answer 4

Soak it in brine for several hours or overnight. 1/2 to 3/4 cup for 15 to 20 lbs 1/4 to 1/2 cup for smaller ones. Rinse completely and cook according to instructions.

Answer 5

** fry it * 3min for each pound and then 2/3 extra to make sure is all well done
** bake it on a 375* oven for 1 hr then at 325* for 2 hrs all cover in aluminum foil then take foil out and raise temp to 375* once again baiste with your favorite herb butter, pan drippings or glaze (beer and guava or passion fruit jam is what I use for glaze) every 8/10 minutes until turkey is done

Answer 6

Do a web search and Butterball, I believe, has a turkey hot line 800 number.

OHHHHHHH, if this is your first turkey, make sure you take the bags of innards out of the neck cavity and the butt cavity. Most of us on the first bird, discovered them when we were carving the bird. LOL.

Peace.

Answer 7

Cook it with a cheese cloth totally soaked with butter and keep basting it

Answer 8

Have you ever tryed a deep fried turkey, it's so good!

Answer 9

you can um just get a cooking book and it will help you

Answer 10

SMoke it on a Smoker