Best Turkey Recipe?

Question

What is your favorite way to cook a holiday turkey?

Answer 1

I make a bread stuffing with celery, onions, poultry seasoning and chicken stock and a whole loaf of white bread that is at least a day old and stale. for my turkey i melt 2 sticks of butter, 2 tbsp each or parsley, rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper and i add 1 tbsp lemon juice to the butter and mix all this together and baste the entire cleaned bird, and place him in a roasting pan and fill the bottom of the pan with 1 can of chicken stock and put in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes per pound and baste him with the butter mixture every hour till he is golden brown and done.. i even loosen the skin around his tuckes and baste the meat with the butter mixture and i might even cook some halved lemons inside the cavity if i have any... he comes out good and clean and fresh tasting...

Answer 2

DEEP FRIED TURKEY

1 turkey, 12-15 lbs, thawed
5-6 gallons peanut oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 stick butter
1/4 lb lean salt pork, finely minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large outdoor turkey fryer
1 turkey injector
1 yard of cheesecloth (or a fine mesh strainer)
salt and pepper, to taste

For this recipe, you will need a large outdoor turkey fryer. Find a place to set up the cooking area away from the house, and children or pets. You'll need a heavy-duty turkey lifter to remove the turkey from the hot oil and a long stemmed thermometer, and long-armed hot mitts.
Be sure the turkey is fully thawed before frying.

The night before:

Slice the salt pork into 1/8" dice or mince well with a cleaver. Combine with 3 minced cloves of garlic and 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a heavy skillet over low heat and leave for 30 minutes, or until the drippings have rendered out from the salt pork. Turn several times. After 30 minutes, add butter, soy sauce and paprika. When butter has melted and become clear, remove pan from heat and strain the mixture with cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer until no small bits remain. (Alternatively, process until smooth in a blender). This mixture is used to inject the turkey before frying. Inject the turkey about 5 inches apart, having the injector go in different directions several times for each hole made.

If any of the mixture is left when done injecting the turkey, use it to rub the outside of the turkey.

Remove the pop-up timer, then place the turkey in a large food-safe plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight.

Cooking the Turkey

Add peanut oil up to the line on the inside of the turkey fryer (or see your manufacturer's instructions for recommended quantity of oil). The turkey should be submerged with one inch of oil above it while cooking.

Thirty minutes before cooking, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature. Bring the oil temperature to 350°F. Pat the turkey dry with a clean towel.

Put the turkey in the frying basket, breast side (neck end) facing down. With a hot mitt covered hand, stand away from the oil and carefully lower the turkey into the cooker. Allow the oil temperature to lower to 300°F and continue frying, 4 minutes per pound of turkey.

The turkey will turn a deep brown when done and will be crisp. The temperature in the thickest portion of a thigh should read 175°F using an instant read thermometer.

Remove the turkey to a cookie sheet; sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper, then allow it to cool, upside down for 20 minutes.

Serve breast side up on a decorative platter.

Answer 3

I have cooked my turkeys a lot of different ways - even turned it upside down one year for half the cooking time! I don't recommend that with a 22 pound turkey! The best way that I love, is brining it over night....I think that it gives it a great flavor and it keeps the meat incredibly tender!...The I stuff the bird with apples and spices...I got this from Alton Brown a couple years back, and it's fool proof! I do mine in a cooler, and then just wipe it out with bleach afterwards, to clean it.

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil


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 (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

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 (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Answer 4

Roasted in the oven in a browning bag.

Answer 5

Smoked. I start it early in the day and let it smoke until early afternoon