Help with turkey???

Question

I wanted to inject my turkey but i don't know with what, should i ue butter, chicken broth or something else. Also io saw that some people put butter on the skin and some use oil, which is better. Please help

Answer 1

http://www.foodforthoughtonline.net/

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Answer 2

I agree with the other posters...don't inject your turkey, brine it! If you are the least bit nervous about drying out your turkey, a brine is the best insurance and takes the guess work out of finding the perfect moment to remove your turkey from the oven. Here are some reasons it is wise to brine your turkey:

-ENSURES that the breast meat is moist and juicy.
-Seasons the bird the night or day before to reduce prep-work on Thanksgiving Day
-Gives you an opportunity ahead of time to make sure your turkey is fully defrosted, and even helps thaw it if the interior is still 'frosty' inside.

A brine is also probably about the same cost or cheaper than a marinade. It is especially delicious with lemon and orange rind in the brine, and then you can roast the turkey with the rind inside the cavity.

I recommend double bagging the turkey in two of the turkey roasting bags (to insure against leaks), and setting the bag in a large pot, or a pan in the refridgerator to brine for 12-24 hours. Google a recipe for a brine, and I'm sure one will come up that uses the roasting bags.

It is tasty to wedge pats of butter inbetween the skin and the meat, and spread more butter on top. I'm sure olive oil would be good too, but the butter in the skin is the best for flavor. But a brine is the best way to cook a turkey for people like me who are 'witless and helpless':). Because of brining, I no longer fear cooking a turkey!

Answer 3

The canned injector mixes are good, and they usually come w/ an injector thingy as well. You can make your own w/ melted butter, a dash of worcestershire, garlic powder (not fresh; will turn meat green), and other spices youl like.

Either butter or oil is fine on the skin; both work well, just a preference thing.


Perfect Roast Turkey

1 fresh turkey (12 pounds)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch of fresh thyme
1 lemon, halved
3 Spanish onions
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), melted
1/2 cup good olive oil
8 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
10 red new potatoes, halved
3 heads fennel, fronds removed, cut into wedges through the core

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, lemon, one of the onions (quartered), and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. Peel and slice the remaining onions, toss them with 1/4 cup olive oil, and scatter them around the turkey.

Roast the turkey for 1 hour. Toss the carrots, potatoes, and fennel with 1/4 cup olive oil and add to the roasting pan. Continue to roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.

Stir the vegetables and return the pan to the oven. Continue to cook the vegetables while the turkey rests. Slice the turkey and serve on a platter with the roasted vegetables. Serves 8.

--Ina Garten

Answer 4

Awesome! You really don't need to inject the bird if you brine it. Make a nice, large batch of salt water with some aromatics (onion, garlic, pepper, sage...) Give the turkey a soak for up to 24 hours in your fridge. Drain it and pat dry before cooking. You can use a butter rub under the skin with some herbs, but the brining will make it really tender and juicy. I broil mine for about a half hour and then tent the bird with foil and cook at 350. Don't tent the bird while broiling, you need that nice crust. If it starts to burn, you can then tent it. Make sure you use a digital thermometer to measure doneness. Put the probe in the thickest part of the breast but do not touch any bones, this will give you a false reading. Take out the turkey at 160 degrees (F) and let it rest for half an hour. This will ensure that the juices redistribute and the bird will continue to rise in temp to 170 which is safe for consumption. Check out the site, Alton is my favorite Chef.

Answer 5

Unsalted butter or virgin olive oil work well for the outside of the turkey, but before you push the turkey into the oven, "tent" it with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning or burning. The flavor on the skin will come from the seasonings you use, not necessarily the butter or oil. As for injection, around the holiidays, turkey injectors will begin to appear on the store shelves. There will be suggestions on the injector package of types of liquids to use.

Answer 6

I heard that some inject with special spices--like Cajun seasoning.

Coating in butter or oil will get you about the same results, but butter probably has a better flavor. My husband prefers that I coat the bird in mayonnaise. Tastes great and has a nice, golden color when done.

Answer 7

There is a product called the Cajun Injector which is great and you can buy the kit which provides the injector. You should be able to get it at any grocery store.

A homemade version is something like:

1 can chicken broth
3 fluid ounces garlic oil
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons tobassco
1 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce


I found several variations here (http://bbq.about.com/od/turkeyinjectionrecipes/Turkey_Injection_Recipes_Get_that_flavor_under_the_skin.htm), so you may find something more to your liking.

Good luck!

Answer 8

A really good thing to do is put strips of bacon on the turkey and then wrap it in wax paper and cook it. The turkey tastes delicious. I wouldn't inject the turkey with anything though.

Answer 9

Skip the injections--they're for the doctor's office.
Baste the turkey with its own drippings. I love the flavor and ready-mix spices in BELL's seasoning. I use it in my stuffing and my gravy. You can buy at any grocery store, and it's worth the search if you have trouble finding it--usually in the spice aisle, and it's a yellow box with a turkey on it.
Basting is easiest with an actual turkey baster--available at most grocery stores and definitely at Walmart or the like.

Answer 10

Try just stuffing the cavity with lemon and oranges, Gives the meat just the hint of citrus. Also, they take herb butter and place it between the skin and meat. I usually rub the bird down with olive oil, makes the skin crsipy. Check out food network website. They've got a ton of ideas on turkey's.

Answer 11

Here is one I use and it's always delicious. You can just make it at home. Simple.

Turkey marinade

1 (16 ounce) bottle Italian dressing
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tsp black pepper
1 cup Creole seasoning
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil leaves


In a medium bowl, mix 3/4 Italian dressing, cayenne pepper, black pepper, basil, Creole seasoning, and garlic powder. Rub over turkey, using remaining Italian dressing to inject into turkey. Allow turkey to marinate 8 hours, or overnight, before deep-frying or roasting