Comments on: How to Roast a Turkey

on 11/21/2007 Cooking until the temp registers 175 to 180 will result in a dried out bird. You should cook until it reaches 165, remove from the oven, and tent with foil for a half hour. The internal temp will rise to 175, and the bird will be perfect.

on 11/16/2007 I like to use butter instead of olive oil for more flavor!

on 11/14/2007 If you put a couple a bacon strips right on the top of the breast it will be moist.

on 1/4/2006 For any size (up to 23 pounds) stuffed or not:

Clean and dry the turkey, stuff if desired. Butter inside of brown paper bag from store with 1 stick of butter. Put turkey in the bag then into a shallow pan (I use a broiler pan without the rack) and close bag (I staple it closed). Cook at 500 degrees for one hour, 400 for the next hour, 300 for the last hour. The bag will be charred, but will not catch fire as long as it does not touch the sides of the oven. Don't peek! After the 3 hours remove from oven, take the bag off and let the turkey sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Get your camera out to take picture of the best looking turkey ever! It not only looks good, it taste great. I get calls every year to remind friends and family how to do the 3 hour turkey.

on 12/30/2005 If you roast it in foil on a rack, you won't have to baste it! Then, to brown it, just take off the foil during the last 15 minutes of cooking and brown it. To avoid it boiling, you'll want to poke a couple of holes in the bottom of the foil so the excess liquids drain out.

on 3/25/2008 Cover a large, paper, grocery bag with cooking oil. Place the bag in a large roasting pan. Prepare turkey in your usual way and put it inside the bag. Seal the bag with staples. Bake in 350 degree oven. A 13-15 pound turkey takes 3 hours to bake and is nicely browned and very tender.

on 12/30/2005 The night before, the turkey should have been marinated, olive oil, vinegar, fresh garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Inside cavities, place fresh herbs, like: fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Also place one halved onion and a garlic head (cut in half) inside. It smells so good and adds a terrific flavor.
Good luck!

on 12/30/2005 I've never had a dry turkey. Cook your turkey as you normally would. 12 minutes or so per pound (not stuffed). Baste with drippings every 35 minutes or so. You don't need to use all of these different tricks out there.

on 11/22/2005 To make a very moist turkey, so soft and buttery it falls of the bone:

Stuff the turkey. Everyone knows the best part is the stuffing! Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Put about 2 inches of orange or apple juice in the bottom. Place the cover in the roasting dish.

Roast the turkey approximately 3 hours plus 5 minutes per pound at about 250 degrees (notice that for a large family sized turkey, that means all day long). Baste occasionally with juice. You may need to cover the wings and drumsticks with foil if they start to get too dark. If the skin does not get dark and crispy enough, finish under a broiler briefly just before serving.

on 11/22/2005 Set the oven to 350 degrees. Get 2 large roasting pans (find them for $1.00 a piece). Get 1 thawed turkey and soak it in water for a half hour. Brush 2/3 cup of olive oil all over the turkey (leftover oil is okay). Use salt and pepper, garlic salt, and any other seasonings you like. Cover the turkey with the other half of the roasting pan and bake as needed (usually 12-15 minutes per pound). This is easy!

on 11/22/2005 For moister white meat, roast the turkey with the breast side down for most of the cooking time, then turn it right side up to brown the breast skin. The fat from the dark meat will run down and "auto baste" the breast meat.

on 11/22/2005 The BEST way to roast a turkey is to use a roasting bag. Follow the times on the box. The bag holds in all the juices. Your turkey will be falling off the bone tender and juicy. Rinse the turkey, rub it with real butter, salt and pepper, and add white wine, brandy [small amounts], sage, etc.

on 11/22/2005 The day before you cook your turkey, cook a whole pound of bacon. Take the grease (strained) and put it in a measuring cup. With a flavor injector syringe, suck up the bacon grease into the syringe and inject it all around the breast and thighs, concentrating on the breast since this white meat will get dry faster than dark meat. Set the bird in the fridge overnight and the next morning, start cooking. Not only will your bird be mouth-watering and have a hint of that smoked flavor, but your drippings will be excellent for great gravy. This is definitely not a low calorie recipe, but is Thanksgiving the time to worry about that? NO way! Eat as much as you can and enjoy it while it lasts!

on 11/22/2005 Basting a turkey is a waste of time. For a really moist bird, it's got to be brined. Use 1 cup of kosher salt per gallon of water. You can add seasonings as well (I usually add whole peppercorns and Allspice, boil it, and then let it cool before adding it to the brine solution). Keep that baby cool for 6 to 8 hours. Oil it up, and put it in a 500 degree oven for half an hour (similar to searing a steak), remove it and cover the breast (not dark meat) with 2 layers of aluminum foil (it helps to cut this before the turkey is hot). Then I add a temperature probe (set for 161) to the breast and turn it down to 350 and cook until the sensor tells me it's done (never believe the little plastic thing). After it's out of the oven, the internal temperature will increase another 3 or 4 degrees. Let it sit for 15 minutes before carving.

on 11/22/2005 To get really crispy skin, rinse and drain the turkey well the night before. Place it on a rack in a shallow pan and refrigerate UNCOVERED overnight. This allows the skin (and only the skin) to dry completely so it will crisp up and not 'steam' in the oven. (It won't look so pretty in its raw state but wait until it's cooked!)

Rub well with softened butter or vegetable oil before roasting uncovered.