Turkey! - Murrieta,CA

Slather it with butter, use a cooking bag and definately cook it breast side down.....can't lose! I also toss a chopped onion, some cloves of garlic, some chunks of lemon and about 1/3 bottle of white wine (cheap is fine). Perfectly moist everytime. Happy Thanksgiving!

Rubbing butter on the meat under the skin, then cooking in a bag, seems to help (my cousins also like to put whole sage leaves under the skin - it looks really nice and tastes great). Also, I heard from somewhere that different turkey parts cook at different rates, so it might actually be a good idea to separate all the parts so whatever cooks up faster can be removed sooner (sorry I am sketchy on the details but you might be able to find the detailed info on-line).

Here is what I do for a simple, moist, delicious, and EASY turkey. I open a package of bacon and lay the strips over the entire top of the turkey. Put the turkey in the turkey bag and cook according to directions. It ends up being most because the bacon bastes it all along. It also has a delicious hint of smoky flavor. I always get compliments! Good luck to you!

I have always made mine in a bag in the oven. I just wash the bird of course and then season the outside as well as I take a stick of butter and mix it up with seasoning and herbs and stuff it under the skin. I lay the bird on very roughly chopped carrots, celery, and yellow onions halved. As well as a head of garlic that I put inside the bird. We dont eat any of that but it does add amazing taste. And then just bake it according to poundage!
This is how my M. makes her turkey and I always loved it so I continued to do it this way when I got married and what not.
My MIL was very skeptical especially when I got assigned the turkey a few years ago for our family thanksgiving, but everyone loved it! It always comes out super moist!

The roasting bag usually always works. Last year I roasted my turkey upside down, the breast meat was awesomely moist since it sits in the juice the entire time... the bird just isnt as pretty and you dont get all that delicious, crispy skin to peel off either..... it's not good for ya anyway ;)

Trader Joe's sells a really good pre-brined turkey! You just rinse it off and roast!

A brown paper bag. My M. did it growing up and I have done it as well. You put the entire turkey (w/ stuffing inside brush with melted butter), into the brown paper bag, staple the end shut and cook it that way. You will need to judge the timing by weight, then check the pop up. Try to find a brown bag with little or no markings on it. Turkey comes out golden brown and juicy every time!

I really don't think brining is that big of deal and wouldn't skip it.

However, if you do, I have some suggestions. Don't stuff it with stuffing or dressing which can absord the moisture. I take a large orange or small grapefruit, pierce it several time and stuff it in the turkey. I'll put a small orange or lemon (pierced) in the neck cavity. As the fruit heats up, the juices will ooze out into the turkey. Really yummy.

I've also heard that frying is good.

Hi Robyn-

I rub garlic & butter under the skin and then use the turkey roasting bag. It turns out great everytime. We had our turkey dinner last night and some of the family members weren't at the house yet so I left the turkey in longer then usual, so when I was cutting the bird I just basted in some on the juices over the slices. Viola, moist bird that tasted great!!

Good luck!

I do two things to ensure a moist turkey... and it's worked every time.

1) Place the turkey breast side down. I realize this is contrary to how a lot of people do it, but you still get the nice golden skin (seasoned however you like), and gravity puts a lot of the juices at the bottom.

2) I do NOT baste the turkey. It was explained to me that basting actually lets in a lot of cooler air (after you get blasted from the oven, lol), so basting just minimizes damage done by opening the roasting pan. I start checking the bid 45-60 minutes before it should be done. Otherwise, once it's in, I leave it alone. How's that for less hassle? LOL

Happy Thanksgiving,

S. :+)

I have never brined my turkey. I season the outside of the bird with salt and pepper. Inside I'll stuff an onion and garlic whole. I've added herbs before too. If it smells good it will taste good! I baste it with chicken stock a couple of times to keep it moist. Some people inject theirs with yummy stuff....I'm a less is best kind of cook. If you have too much going on with the flavors you can't tell what you're tasting! Most of my Dad's family grew up on a farm and they didn't brine anything. My grandmother made some of the best family dinners.

We do ours in the oven. There are usually directions on the actual packaging. Baste continuously. Also,let your turkey sit after you take it out of the oven. Put it on the counter and cover it with foil. Let it sit for at least 30 mins to an hour. The turkey will re-absorb the juices in the pan. Since the bird is so large, it will still be piping hot when you go to carve it.

Hi. Not to brag, but I have never had a dry bird. :) I do the most incredibly simple way of cooking it. I rinse it thoroughly, put it in the pan and sprinkle salt on top of it, put in about 1-2 inches of water and cover it tightly with foil, being sure to spray the underside of the foil with a non-stick spray. I bake it at 325 for however long the directions say to for the weight of the turkey. About 1/2 way through I baste it every 30 minutes. When it's basically done, I remove the foil and rub butter on the top and allow it to brown in the oven. Voila! Works every time and the turkey has such a wonderful flavor, seeing as how I didn't use any extra spices, rubs, etc....

Good luck!

Robyn,
I cut an onion, orange and apple into large chunks and put them inside the turkey. I smear the turkey with butter and put it into a roasting bag. That works pretty well.
Victoria

I'm with Dolly B. Not many people know this trick but my parents did it and I continue the tradition. I have done roasting bags also, but this is always the best for getting a beautiful brown crispy bird. Cut a brown paper grocery bag down the back seam and place it like a tent over the turkey. Season the turkey with butter or oil (which ever you prefer) and what ever seasonings you like. Place in a V rack beast side down and your best bet is a fresh Butterball turkey. Stuff or don't stuff. Good luck.

C. D.

Cook breast side down.

If you have a small turkey you can put it in a crock pot. It doesn't get golden brown but it will be juicy.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grilled-Whole-Turkey/Detail.... I have made this recipe both times I hosted thanksgiving and it was fall off the bone juice both times. Wasn't good for presentation table carving but we don't do that anyway. The water really helps. I like it because it frees up my oven for all the other stuff.

My mother in law puts fruit (oranges i think) inside hers.

Personally, I use the roasting bag too. However, I remove the skin as best I can so that it cuts down on the fat. I also cut the turkey into pieces. Roasting the legs, wings, and thighs separately from the breast. For good juicy measure, I always cut a few carrots, celery, onion and garlic...using the yummy drippings to make the BEST gravy! Have fun!

We smoke ours in the Big Green Egg, but most any smoker will do. It takes a long time but is SOOO Worth it. We also use the Cajun Injector and then make sure to baste it often. Never had a dry turkey and we have been doing this for 14years