My first turkey!

afjess1989

Amount of F##Ks given, 0
Im cooking my first turkey this year for thanksgiving....19 lbs...any advice, do's or dont's?
:howdy:
 

Nickel

curiouser and curiouser
Good luck! I roasted my first turkey last week (13.4 lbs) and it was much easier than I expected. I just put some sliced apple, onion, carrot and garlic inside, brushed some melted butter on top and basted a few times and it turned out great. My tip: Ask your husband to pull the neck out, preferably when you are out of the room. Otherwise you will gag and possibly throw up a little in your mouth. :lmao:
 
Im cooking my first turkey this year for thanksgiving....19 lbs...any advice, do's or dont's?
:howdy:

Make sure it is thawed, safely, if it isn't already. If not better start now. Mine is 12# and been in the fridge since Sat. night, still rock hard. I'll be leaving it out until I go to bed tonight and probably tomorrow.
 

afjess1989

Amount of F##Ks given, 0
Good luck! I roasted my first turkey last week (13.4 lbs) and it was much easier than I expected. I just put some sliced apple, onion, carrot and garlic inside, brushed some melted butter on top and basted a few times and it turned out great. My tip: Ask your husband to pull the neck out, preferably when you are out of the room. Otherwise you will gag and possibly throw up a little in your mouth. :lmao:

Omg! I forgot about that lil bag of stuff they put in it! Oh joy!
 

lovinmaryland

Well-Known Member
How very exciting for you!!!

#1 make sure your bird is thawed completely :lol:

Rinse your bird and pat it completely dry.

I suggest using the neck to make a base broth for your gravy.

I normally brine my bird then use this recipe to bake the bird. It is alway very moist, juicy, and most important DELISH!! :yay:



Ingredients
1 (20 lb) fresh turkey, giblets and neck removed from cavity and reserved
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted,
plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 (750 ml) bottles dry white wine
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
classic prepared stuffing
1 cup dry red wine or 1 cup white wine, for gravy (optional)
giblet stock

Directions

Rinse turkey with cool water, and dry with paper towels.
Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
Place rack on lowest level in oven.
Heat oven to 450°.
Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl.
Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut it into a 17-inch, four-layer square.

Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine; let soak.
Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy metal roasting pan.
Remove pop up time if there is one, use regular meat thermometer in thick part of leg.
Fold wing tips under turkey.
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey.
(Stuff loosely if you choose, I do not stuff) Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string (a bow will be easy to untie later).
Fold neck flap under, and secure with toothpicks.
Rub turkey with the softened butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
Lift cheesecloth out of liquid, and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp.
Spread it evenly over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey; it can cover some of the leg area.
Place turkey, legs first, in oven.
Cook for 30 minutes.
Using a pastry brush, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with butter and wine.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°, and continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes, you will need to reheat the butter-wine mixture occasionally as the butter will harden.
Watch pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.
After this third hour of cooking, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth.
Turn roasting pan so that the breast is facing the back of the oven.
Baste turkey with pan juices.
If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine.
The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully.
Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes.
After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh.
Do not poke into a bone.
The temperature should reach 180° (stuffing should be between 140° and 160°) and the turkey should be golden brown.
 

afjess1989

Amount of F##Ks given, 0
Make sure it is thawed, safely, if it isn't already. If not better start now. Mine is 12# and been in the fridge since Sat. night, still rock hard. I'll be leaving it out until I go to bed tonight and probably tomorrow.

Well unfortunately my dinner will be on saturday cuz my dad has to work on thanksgiving...(which i think is wrong....but you cant tell the gubment nothing) i was gonna put it in the fridge on wednesday.....This will also by my first thanksgiving in our new house hubby and I are very excited .(well more I then him lol)
 

lovinmaryland

Well-Known Member
Well unfortunately my dinner will be on saturday cuz my dad has to work on thanksgiving...(which i think is wrong....but you cant tell the gubment nothing) i was gonna put it in the fridge on wednesday.....This will also by my first thanksgiving in our new house hubby and I are very excited .(well more I then him lol)

Put it in the frindge today. It takes between 4-6 days to thaw out a 20 lb turkey. I've had mine in the fridge since Friday and it is still semi frozen.
 
Well unfortunately my dinner will be on saturday cuz my dad has to work on thanksgiving...(which i think is wrong....but you cant tell the gubment nothing) i was gonna put it in the fridge on wednesday.....This will also by my first thanksgiving in our new house hubby and I are very excited .(well more I then him lol)

Well, they are good in thawed condition for at least two days. I would say start earlier. Seems I have dealt with a bunch of half thawed turkeys. Take the little bags of stuff out as soon as you can get them out. Mine is going in the deep frier about 11AM Thursday. Haven't decided on a rub yet. Can't be spicy because of my Mom, so probably just some salt, pepper, and some other herbs.
As far as roasting, I have no experience there. Other than eating. :lol:
 

mitzi

Well-Known Member
Omg! I forgot about that lil bag of stuff they put in it! Oh joy!

:killingme My first turkey when I was 19, I missed taking the little bag out. I looked on the wrong end & assumed it wasn't there. It didn't ruin anything, stuff was cooked in the bag. It was just funny.
 

baileydog

I wanna be a SMIB
Get yourself a good quality turkey lifter. Doesnt have to cost much but when you buy it lay it flat and picture a turkey on it, will it be easy to lift? And then dont forget to use it. Ive done that and always regretted it come time to lift that bad boy out of the pan.
 

afjess1989

Amount of F##Ks given, 0
I got a new turkey roaster pan with a nice lifting rack thing in it... I hope it comes out good...would love to start a new family traddition...now my first stuffed ham was last yeah and i must say for a 22 year old im a darn good cook!
 

Littlebit

Member
:killingme My first turkey when I was 19, I missed taking the little bag out. I looked on the wrong end & assumed it wasn't there. It didn't ruin anything, stuff was cooked in the bag. It was just funny.

Oh my god, I did the same thing at 19, had been married for 6 months, my husband and I laughed for days about it. But all in all it wasn;t that bad.
 
Top