Simple roasted turkey for first timer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. If you roast a turkey is the day before and carve them, how do you best heat them up so they are warm in time for the dinner or lunch or whatever? Next day turkey is always so dry. I would worry that it would taste like leftovers if you make it a day in advance?

This is Ina Garten’s make-ahead turkey recipe:
https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/make-ahead-roast-turkey

Drizzle the sliced turkey with a little water before reheating to moisten it, and cover the pan tightly with foil to keep the moisture in while it’s in the oven. Use just enough water that the turkey slices will absorb it but not so much that the water pools in the bottom if the pan.

Use store bought chicken broth instead of water to moisten to give it more flavor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of the people saying to spatchcock or cut up the bird - that is NOT an easy thing for a first timer!!!

+1 A first timer will not be able to cut up or spatchcock a turkey easily. The best method for a first timer is the age-old method of roasting the whole turkey. I agree that it is better to go with 2 smaller turkeys rather than 1 large turkey if you need to feed a large number of people. Basting often is key.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of the people saying to spatchcock or cut up the bird - that is NOT an easy thing for a first timer!!!

+1 A first timer will not be able to cut up or spatchcock a turkey easily. The best method for a first timer is the age-old method of roasting the whole turkey. I agree that it is better to go with 2 smaller turkeys rather than 1 large turkey if you need to feed a large number of people. Basting often is key.

I initially suggested deconstructing the turkey and I stand by it. The "cost" of taking out the backbone of two 18# turkeys and quartering the turkey, and dry brining is going to pay far greater dividends with getting evenly moist and quickly cooked turkey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t know what you’re doing please pass the baton to someone else.

Can’t. Nobody else signed up and his boss asked him to do it as a favor. We are locked in. If you have recipe or timing help that I am seeking, let me know! Thanks.

Op you are single handedly helping to bring women back to the dark ages. Thanks a lot!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t know what you’re doing please pass the baton to someone else.

Can’t. Nobody else signed up and his boss asked him to do it as a favor. We are locked in. If you have recipe or timing help that I am seeking, let me know! Thanks.

Op you are single handedly helping to bring women back to the dark ages. Thanks a lot!

+1. DH can call and order a turkey from the Honeybaked ham store.

[Anonymous]

Just follow NYTs brine and roasted turkey recipe. Best there is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just make sure it's totally thawed before you start. That's the error a lot of first timers make. It takes days for a frozen turkey to thaw in the fridge.

If your turkey is still partially frozen when you need to cook it, take it out of the plastic, stick it in a big bowl in the sink , and run hot water over it for 15-20 minutes. Thesalt the heck out of it to make up for washing away the brine most turkeys have.

Although this should be avoided if possible because it keeps the bird in the prime bacteria growth zone longer than is ideal.

It's not ideal but gets the bird unfrozen and actually cooking faster than throwing a frozen bird in the oven, so I think it's not so bad especially 15-20 minutes.

15-20 won't be enough to thaw the center of the bird.

This discussion right here is why so many people get poisoned by Thanksgiving turkeys. I say this as someone who did my food safety certs when I worked in catering in college.

The turkey partially thawed in the fridge but was frozen in the middle, I ran hot water into the cavity in the middle of the bird. Seemed like it totally thawed it, no one got sick.

Oh girl…you just got lucky. That’s nasty.

+1. Really nasty. Do not hot water thaw your turkey.

[Anonymous]

Why not just bring a couple rotisserie chickens or some fried chicken. That's what they do at my office.

First timer, bird needs to be cooked to bring into work AND be transported/stored/reheated? You are asking for serious trouble.

Ham is definitely a safer option. You can eat most hams straight out of the bag without any food safety issues.

[Anonymous]

Ma’am if you don’t tell your DH (or his boss) to order two fried turkeys from Popeyes!

There is a A LOT I would cook for my DH in this situation. Cooking 2 18 lb turkeys is not on that list.

And…you know you can’t cook them at the same time unless you have full double ovens. Don’t do it, girl.

[Anonymous]

For a first timer, dealing with defrosting a frozen turkey + brining is a lot of hassle.

Buy a TJ's fresh pre-brined turkey.

Bake it in a Reynolds brand turkey bag. Read directions on bag container. Put bag in a big disposable foil tray from grocery store with handles on it. Buy cornstarch for making gravey. Flour too clumpy.

Make sure you remove 2 things from inside - bag of guts, and the neck. Both are probably buried in there. Definitely the back of organs.

[Anonymous]

And start baking at 11am. Takes while to cut the turkey and make gravey.

[Anonymous]

And, don't buy turkey last minute. I'd buy a fresh one it maybe early Saturday morning beforehand, but check expiration date.

[Anonymous]

I mean realistically let's say you did want to do this. An 18 pound turkey takes about 4 hours in roasting time alone. You can't fit two 18 pound turkeys in one oven. 8 hours just in roasting time, plus even very basic prep/preheat. The bird also needs to rest before you could possibly transport it without burning yourself. Doing this day of you'd be reasonably starting at 1 or 2 in the morning to get these birds roasted by 11:30.

Do you realize how completely insane this is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean realistically let's say you did want to do this. An 18 pound turkey takes about 4 hours in roasting time alone. You can't fit two 18 pound turkeys in one oven. 8 hours just in roasting time, plus even very basic prep/preheat. The bird also needs to rest before you could possibly transport it without burning yourself. Doing this day of you'd be reasonably starting at 1 or 2 in the morning to get these birds roasted by 11:30.

Do you realize how completely insane this is?

If you do really have 2 full size double ovens, I'd.note you're going to want those birds both in by 6 AM.