Roasting Turkey

[Luckylies]

FRY FRY FRY!!!!!!!! It takes practically no time and you never have to wonder if it's going to be good, cause it's FRIED!!!!!!!!!! I've fried turkeys for the last few years and it really is worth looking into if you have some outdoor space....

[kiliki]

Safeway is claiming to have invented high heat turkey roasting? I've seen countless recipes for this. I have for years roasted my turkeys at 450 (brined first). They take less than two hours and turn out fabulous-crispy skin and juicy meat.

I roast chickens at 475-500 (I started doing this after reading the Cook's Illustrated butterflied roast chicken recipe) and have no problem. Those of you who get nothing but smoke-how dirty is your oven? If I go a while without cleaning mine, all of the accumulated chicken grease and such will cause quite a bit of smoke at high temperatures. I do a lot of the high heat roast chickens and so do clean the over regularly.

I've fried turkeys for the last few years and it really is worth looking into if you have some outdoor space....

And good weather, I'd say...I can't imagine doing this in the dark, windy, and rainy Seattle November. Also, what do you do with gallons of leftover oil?

Edited November 10, 2005 by kiliki (log)

[fifi]

Every time I tried any of the high temp roasting techniques, I started out with a freshly cleaned oven. I had a self cleaning one at the time and kept it pretty much spotless. A highly accurate independent thermometer confirmed the temperature. (I am a science geek.) Everything still smoked and tasted nasty.

What to do with turkey frying oil? After you have fried everything in the freezer and the crudite tray, you strain it, store it in a cool dark place and use it again next year.

[ejebud]

The November issue of Gourmet magazine is touting the high heat method(they use 475 degrees for the whole time) as the way to cook "the perfect turkey" No butter under the skin, no basting, no foil tent. They tried it again and again and it just kept working perfectly. Cooked a supermarket brand turkey weighing 14-16 pounds in 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 hours. I'm doing a fried and a high heat method this holiday season.

Eric

[Chris Amirault]

The November issue of Gourmet magazine is touting the high heat method(they use 475 degrees for the whole time) as the way to cook "the perfect turkey" 

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Is it me, or does Gourmet come up with a new perfect way to cook turkey every twelve months, give or take?

[fifi]

Just for clarity, I picked up the "2 Hour Turkey" brochure just a bit ago from my Randall's (Safeway). There are some surprises in equipment, not technique. I will paraphrase:

1 - Remove the thing that holds the legs together, giblets neck and excess fat.

2 - Rinse and pat dry. Apply olive oil, s&p. Do not stuff.

3 - Place on a V-rack in a roasting pan breast side up. Bird should be 2 inches from the pan bottom. (Surprise: they show one of those flimsy throw away pans.)

4 - Put aluminum foil caps on the ends of the drumsticks and a foil collar around the front to catch and redirect any drips back into the pan if the wings hang over.

5 - Put an oven safe thermometer into the thick part of the breast touching the bone. ( ????)

6 - Put the pan on the lowest rack of a 475F oven. (Do not use convection heat as that will cause smoking. ?????) Then they say to reverse the pan halfway through. If you get uneven browning, add foil tents. The only reason that they admit for any smoke is if something is hanging over the pan and dripping onto the oven floor. Then they tell you that if this happens to wipe up the drips. (Has anyone else seen at least 2 really unsafe moves here?)

7 - Remove from the oven and let sit for 30 to 45 minutes in a draft free spot.

8 - Drain juices from the cavity into the pan. Skim fat and scrape up drippings, adding broth if you don't have any liquid. (At least they don't tell you to deglaze that cheap aluminum pan over heat.)

9 - Cut off the legs at the thigh and if they are a bit pink, put back in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes or in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes.

10 - Carve the rest of the turkey, juices may be rosy to clear, save to pour into the gravy.

Yes . . . I paraphrased but all of the details don't really help. This looks dubious to me, at best, given the fact that three of us have tried something like this, with better equipment, and couldn't make it work. There was no addition of any liquid or veggies to that thin aluminum disposable pan either.

Even more interesting . . . There is a copyright notice that the "2-Hour Turkey" recipe is owned by Safeway. Maybe they mean the specific brochure on the idea. Any other claim to fame seems dubious as well.

Oh yeah . . . "Tested to perfection by "Sunset" test kitchens."

[jsolomon]

fifi, do you have a regular oven, or does it have convection properties?

I do have to admit, I feel your pain. But, I also must say, that I've had good luck with B. Kafka's recipes.

I wish I could offer help!

[fifi]

Regular oven. The only convection I have is my little toaster oven. New stove in the house will be a learning curve.

[fifi]

Well . . . That paraphrasing post was a waste of time.

Here it is on-line.

(Duh! Will I ever learn?)

[dls]

Well . . . That paraphrasing post was a waste of time.

Here it is on-line.

(Duh! Will I ever learn?)

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I pullled this up earlier today in hopes of finding the recipe/instructions. Not there. Guess they want you to come into the store and buy a few things while you're there. Some helpful info if you hit the link re. "Questions? Click Here".

[SuzySushi]

Well . . . That paraphrasing post was a waste of time.

Here it is on-line.

(Duh! Will I ever learn?)

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I have the Safeway brochure and you forgot the most important part of preparation: 1-2 to days before cooking, clean your oven to prevent smoking of burned-on grease.

From the response I'm seeing here on eGullet, I think I'll skip the 2-hour turkey and use my usual method! It sounds like any time saved, I'd use up cleaning my oven before AND after roasting the turkey!

[fifi]

Suzy . . . Every time we tried it our ovens were scrupulously clean. Still smoked.

[Cucina]

Okay - I need some serious help. I haven't cooked a turkey in years. I've read through this and other posts to get ideas. Brining sounds like a good idea, but based on some of the anti-briner's comments regarding turkey that tastes like ham or has a processed consistency, I'm nervous. If you brine for less than the recommended amount of time, can you overcome this? And the amount of salt recommended varies widely from the websites I've perused. Thoughts, recipies, recommendations?

I am not frying the turkey so for the pro-fryers, don't suggest it - it's either going in the oven or I'm going to buy a smoker and test it out.

[dockhl]

Roasting at 450 works great for me-crispy skin, juicy meat (I do brine first). I can't remember exactly how long my 12-15 lb. birds take-I just keep the thermometer in-but I don't think it's ever taken more than two hours. This is the only way I've ever cooked a turkey and I get confused when I hear people (e.g. coworkers the other day) talk about having a turkey in the oven all day. Why would you do that?

Anyone else read Gourmet's turkey article this month? After much turkey testing the one they liked best was not adorned in any way-not even butter on the skin!-only high heat roasted with salt and pepper.

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Has anyone seen the "Von's 2 Hour Turkey" recipe? Is this high-heat method part of it ? (I can't imagine any other way........)

[kiliki]

I've usually used the basic Cook's Illustrated formula: 1 cup table salt to 1 gallon water, OR, if I use kosher salt, either 2 cups Diamond brand or 1 1/2 cups Morton brand (the crystals are different sizes) to 1 gallon water. Usually you need 2 gallons, for big turkeys, sometimes 3. Soak for 4 hours. In their tests, tasters didn't find much difference if the turkey was soaked slightly longer or less, or if the salt levels were a bit more or less. But, brining for significantly less time (more than an hour) did not have the desired effect on the bird, so there's no point in doing that. I'd encourage you to try it at least this time; though I have read here the occasional anti-brining comment, I've read ten times more in favor.

Be sure to rinse the turkey after brining-you're not trying to make it taste salty, you are trying to fill the cells with water so that the meat is juicy.

I've also made the SF Chronicle turkey (well, more or less-I didn't baste, for instance), and it too was a hit with guests, but I don't know that all the various spices and flavors in the brine actually found their way into the meat. They use a lesser amount of salt and a longer brine time, which worked fine for me. I'll link their recipe-you can always throw in various spices, lemon, sugar, etc, into your brine just to try it out:

SF Chronicle Classic turkey

Edited November 13, 2005 by kiliki (log)

[kiliki]

dockhl: There is another thread going about a Safeway 2 hour turkey a bit further down...sounds like the same thing?

[Kokh Leffle]

Ianeccleston

My foolproof method that has never failed me is roasting at 250. To calculate the roasting time, simply multiply the weight of the bird by 23 minutes per pound.

I prefer a fresh kosher bird but this technique will work with any turkey. I prepare a wet rub with my favorite spices and herbs made into a paste with some oil. I tuck the wings under and truss by cutting small slits on either side of the cavity and inserting the legs crossed over into the slits. Cover the bird with the rub and lay it on a broiler pan thus exposing as much of the bird as possible to the heat. After a couple of hours I periodically spray the bird with non-stick spray. This will ensure a crisp and evenly browned skin.

Test the turkey for doneness about ten minutes before your calculated roast time is over. If its done take it out of the oven and allow to rest, otherwise complete roasting for another five or ten minutes.

This method takes quite a long time and I usually do mine during the night. If you can manage to sleep with the heavenly aroma wafting through your house, this method will work perfectly even if you leave the bird unattended and omit the spraying. The added advantage of roasting during the night is that your oven will be free for preparing all your sides the day of the feast.

I have been using this method for years and it never fails me. It produces a perfectly done bird with moist breast and perfectly done dark meat.

Happy turkey day to all.

Elie

[dockhl]

dockhl: There is another thread going about a Safeway 2 hour turkey a bit further down...sounds like the same thing?

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Thanks, kiliki

I should have known !

[annecros]

Hmm, a brined smoked turkey that tastes like ham? What kind of wood are you using in the smoker?

Personally, I don't care for hickory or oak on my poultry. The hickory I have found to be particularly distinctive, and it leaves a legacy in the flavor of the meat. Great on pork, but gives me a bit of hickory flavored indigestion sometimes. I prefer pecan or citrus wood for turkey, maybe because I can get an ample supply of either. Mesquite I use only on beef, and only when I am in a particular mood. It is probably my least favorite smoking wood. Also, be sure to use Kosher salt in the brine. I have converted my entire household to Kosher salt, and I swear I can taste the metallic iodine flavor from regular table salt even in small quantities, and so does my DH.

I am a cheesecloth method convert. The skin is just amazing. I have found that the only tricky part is to make sure the cheesecloth remains moist with basting so that it does not remove all that lovely skin when you pull it off to finish the turkey the last 45 minutes or so. Have had great, moist results with cheesecloth. In fact, am planning on roasting a whole turkey and smoking a bone in breast this year, and am trying a cheesecloth method for the smoked breast this year. The recipe calls for a brandy soaked cheesecloth tied like a sack around the turkey breast, frequently basted of course, then cutting away with scissors to finish. As my smoked turkey breasts have been a bit dry in the past, I am hoping that this will help. Also, think I will substitute bourbon and butter for the brandy.

[SusanGiff]

Okay, let me throw out an idea here and see if anyone has any thoughts.

My absolute favorite roast chicken recipe is from Judy Rodgers of Zuni Cafe in SF--basically, it's a dry brine/rub technique, where you rub the bird inside and out with a bunch of salt and a smaller amount of spices (cinnamon, allspice, etc) and perch it uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator for two days. Then you roast it at 500 breast side down for 15 minutes, flip it and lower the heat to 450 for another 40 minutes or so. Believe me, it's amazing.

So my husband and I were thinking, Might this possibly work on a turkey, perhaps with different spices or just the salt and no additional spices (or hey, maybe the same ones, although it seems a little weird with turkey)? Is it technically the same thing as brining in salted water overnight? I've tried that traditional brine a couple of times and been pretty unimpressed.

Any thoughts?

I love the idea of putting it on the grill, mostly so I don't have to deal with the oven space problem, so thanks for that one.

Susan

[melkor]

Salting the turkey is the way to go if you've got the fridge space to leave the bird uncovered for 24 hours in there. If you brine the bird the texture of the meat suffers, not so if you just salt it. After the bird comes out of the fridge, pat it completely dry then add a light rub - I dry some fresh herbs in the microwave and make a salt rub with them (oregano, parsley, sage, and a touch of mint), bash that up with some salt and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. Dried herbs don't taste awful when they blacken the same way fresh herbs do.

The drawback to salting the bird is the same one you have when you brine the bird, the drippings are too salty to use as the bulk of the gravy - I add some of them but most of the gravy is made from stock and glace I've made previously.

[Priscilla]

I've also been turning over the idea of salting rather than wet brining--appeals for many reasons.

Melkor, is 24 hours optimum? Would there be an appreciable difference, good or bad, with two days in the fridge?

[melkor]

I'm not sure if 24 hours is better or worse than 48. I haven't tried salting two days in advance.

[Priscilla]

I just wonder if a big old honkin' turkey might not benefit from a couple days' allowing the salt to do its thing. I also like the idea of more time for air-drying the skin.

So, maybe two days next week. And then into the old Weber at a pretty low temp for a long time.

[mikeycook]

Back to the question about size of bird, it is important to note that turkeys over a given size will not fit into the fryer. I prefer 12-14 pounds, but have done as large as 18. Stuffing is done separately, in the oven. No brining (as much as I have had some good brined turkeys, I have never found it necessary with a fresh, fried turkey, although it can be done).