How to make the ultimate turkey

Good Food Blog

What is RSS?

Posted at 12:02PM, 23 December 2011 by Roxanne Fisher - Writer/Sub-editor, bbcgoodfood.com

For many, a turkey is the pride and joy of the festive season and foodies up and down the country agonise over the basting, resting and roasting of their show-off centerpiece. To ease the pressure, our Good Food experts, and Good Food fans have shared their top tips for getting the most out of your Christmas bird...

What our experts say:

Which turkey?

Food editor, bbcgoodfood.com, Caroline Hire: "Ask the butcher for a turkey for the exact number of people you're having. There's always so much food on Christmas Day, going large on the turkey isn't really necessary, furthermore big birds take a long time to cook and if you're not careful you'll end up with a very dry breast."

Before you start

Food editor, Barney Desmazery: "Always try and bring the bird to room temperature before roasting and make sure you remove the neck and giblets from the cavity - don't panic, it's only a big chicken!!"

Stuffing

Cookery assistant, Cassie Best: "If you're stuffing the turkey, stuff the neck cavity only as any stuffing inside the turkey will dramatically increase the cooking time and cause the breast to dry out."

Don't let it dry out

Deputy food editor, Sarah Cook: "The breast meat can dry out really quickly so, start roasting breast-side down, smear under the skin with butter, or make sure you baste regularly."

Waste not, want not

Cookery assistant, Adam Russell: "Make sure to not waste the juice and crispy bits left in the tin, these will all add to a delicious gravy."

What our fans say:

From twitter:

@ EdShaerf Always leave it to stand for at least an hour after cooking

@ jimsyjampots Bacon over the top, cook on a low heat overnight. This keeps the turkey as moist as possible. Increase heat at the end

@ JosHocking We did ours on a kettle bar b q last year and it was delicious - meant I had loads of extra oven space too! (sic)

From facebook:

Stu Gash

For a nice juicy bird at Xmas I always bone out the turkey. This has a few benefits as it reduces the cooking time drastically, reduces waste, and makes it far easier to carve at the table. Also most people buy a turkey it barely fits in the oven, boning it reduces its size as well. I then use the bones to make a stock for proper gravy:)

Lisa Forster

My mum does it with veg in the bottom and a bottle of white wine and brings it to the boil on the stove then roasts it with a double layer of foil so it steams and it's always juicy.

Try out these suggestions with our collection of turkey recipes, or join the debate on Facebook and let us know your tips.

Comments

finlay7070

23 December 2011, 5:10AM
finlay7070

tastes better wth lemon my mum said !

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:
janetbudden

24 December 2011, 4:11AM
janetbudden

Try brining it, I have only done this with chicken but the results are fantastic. Dissolve 100grams of salt, 100 grams of sugar in 1 litre of water. Add some garlic, peppercorns, lemon slices and Christmas spices of your choice. When the water is cool add the chicken, leave to marinade overnight, roast as usual.

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:
welsh lass

1 January 2012, 5:24PM
welsh lass

I cooked my 18Ib bird in just under 3hrs yet the ready reckoner stated over 5hrs... no wonder people hate turkey because its dry. First of all you need a good turkey and I always have a kelly bronze from my local farm gate dealer (not direct). AT around Â£50 excellent value as you can get plenty of meals out of it. I slash the skin between the breast and leg to make sure the heat penetrates this thick part. Cook upside down 200 degrees for half hours and 2hrs at 180, turn over (with help) and turn back up to 200 for the last hour. Cover the legs with foil after 2hrs as these can over cook. Always rest for 1hr not covered otherwise it will steam. I always stuff the neck with sausage and chestnut stuffing this also gives it moisture and makes the gravy extra tasty. Take off the whole breast and when ready cut diagonally as everyone gets a bit of skin and variations in meat texture.

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:
amward26

30 November 2012, 6:52PM
amward26

How many people does an 18lb bird feed? x

Flag as inappropriate

Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Your name: Reason:

Your binder

Here are three other great reasons to sign up:

You get an online binder, where you can store all your favourite recipes and create menus.
You can add your own recipes to this site for others to try; plus, rate and make comments on recipes, and share your views on our blog.
You can sign up for our weekly newsletter (sent out on Wednesdays) - it's packed with recipes, special offers and competitions.