My First Thanksgiving Turkey...what do I do!?

Question

My roommate's parents are coming up for thanksgiving and it's been decided that I will cook the turkey (my roommate doesn't like to handle raw meat). We got a simple menu together (corn, mashed potatoes, greenbean casserole, etc etc)

And then I'm told they like giblet gravy. I can find recipes, but none really tell me where the giblets are. I'm sure I can deduce the liver and heart (thank you high school biology) but I've never seen a gizzard.

And then I don't know what to do with them. Or the rest of the guts (just toss em?). Nor do I understand the "neck" aspect. Is it just the meat of is it meat and neck bone?

And then there's stuffing and dressing to consider and basting (brush or baster?). And there are a ton of recipes, but what would you recommend?

In general, I need to know what to do after I get the bird thawed and out of the bag before it can go into the oven. (for the record: 14lb whole turkey)

My mother did do a turkey every year, but I never helped her @_@ And from what my roommate told me, it sounded as though all the guts would be intact. If there's a bag with just giblets in it, that takes out the guess work at least XD

As far as why I'm basting, I don't have the space to brine this year. That will be next year when I can have more time. I do watch the food network, but I guess i missed Alton making giblet gravy. I'll have to try and catch that special (shouldn't be hard with all the turkey specials XD). I love food network :3

Answer 1

The giblets are in a bag stuffed into either the front end or back end of the turkey. You'll also find the neck in there and you can put that in when making the gravy, too. The only "guts" you'll have will be in the giblet pack. Do NOT stuff the turkey before roasting it. It takes too long and it's not necessary.
The neck is the NECK -- bones and all.

Make the dressing/stuffing separately and COOK it separately.

Make SURE you check the body cavity AND the neck end to get all the little packages out (sometimes, you'll find a package of gravy starter in there for the giblet gravy).

Did your MOTHER never roast a turkey for Thanksgiving????

Answer 2

If the manufacturer was nice, you should actually find a little bag in the turkey that has the giblets. If you'd asked this yesterday, I'd say you'd always find that bag. But just had a turkey dinner tonight and there was no bag in the bird so the giblet gravy had to become a turkey gravy.

If you're making giblet gravy DO NOT toss what's in the bag. Cook the giblets (my mom always leaves the bag in the turkey so they cook with the bird then takes them out when done). then toss them into the blender with some of the juices from the turkey. I'd love to tell you more, but I don't know exactly what all she uses in her giblet gravy. I do know she doesn't use the liver since my dad is deadly alergic to liver and when I'm over I get all the turkey liver to myself (very good fresh from the roasted turkey with a little salt sprinkled on it).

And I wouldn't suggest thawing the bird. Cook it low and slow on about 250 to 275 for like eight to ten hours totally covered and occasionaly basting it with it's own juices if it looks like it's starting to dry out. The result is a very juicy bird.

Answer 3

go to food network or see if you can catch Alton Brown's turkey episode.
Basting is baloney, it slows cooking time by opening the oven and doesn't do anything to keep the bird juicy. The brining recipe is surefire but is quite involved. Remember, the Butterball phone lines are open.
You have a week. Start watching the Food Network when you can and go to the website and review the recipes.
Unstuffed birds are safer (opinion) and take half the time to cook.
Giblets are the envelope of junk inside the bird. Boil them for a strong stock and combined with the pan drippings they are thickened with a roux or cornstarch and simmered and whisked to a thick gravy.
I used a recipe for gravy that used roasted wings (separate from the dinner bird) for the base and it ROCKED.
This is YOUR dinner, cook what you feel comfortable with and with plenty of sides no one will starve. This is a meal for memories, not Iron Chef turkey. Nobody is a food critic from the Times, they thought enough of you all to come and sit and break bread. Food is love. Love means never having to say you are sorry. Even when the food is.
Good luck, Goddess Bless, relax and have a bird!

Answer 4

oftentimes, we've the two a turkey and a ham. continuously have stuffing. particularly situations, we will stuff it interior the turkey. selfmade potato salad and mac & cheese (those products continuously runs out till now the rest). :) the two eco-friendly beans & eco-friendly peas. Mashed potatoes. Cranberry sauce. Yams. i'm beneficial i would be reminded of four or 5 different dishes the following day. a minimum of three categories of pie. Pecan, pumpkin, and candy potato are required. somebody generally supplies you a fruit pie decision. adequate tea & bottled water to feed a busload of persons. i could elect to point out that lots of persons collect for our Thanksgiving dinner and many the persons in my family contributors are "vast" those with very hearty appetites (and many of those human beings have a minimum of two little ones). Thanksgiving is basically like a family contributors reunion for me. all of us is extraordinarily lots unfolded around the country and that i will in basic terms discover the money for to pass to lots of persons for the duration of the three hundred and sixty 5 days. Oh, and a happy Thanksgiving to you too.

Answer 5

ham dresssing peas