Turkey....aaaarrrrggghhhhhh.

I've just found out that i'm off Christmas day, and the Wife has invited 7 people over. I've never cooked a turkey before, and now i have to make one to feed 9 people...any tips?

Emmigrating to Abu Dhabi is not an option, i'm afraid.

Originally posted by huckleberryhound
I've just found out that i'm off Christmas day, and the Wife has invited 7 people over. I've never cooked a turkey before, and now i have to make one to feed 9 people...any tips?

Emmigrating to Abu Dhabi is not an option, i'm afraid.

Make sure your turkey is oven ready.
If it is not then you will have to clean it out yourself.
This involves taking the internal organs out of the turkey.
You then wash the turkeys inside thoroughly.

Make sure the turkey you get fits into your oven.

Place the turkey in a metal baking tray quarter filled with oil.
You can put rashers of bacon across the top of the turkey
and as they cook their juice will flow over the top surface of the turkey.

Cover the turkey in aluminium foil and place in the oven at almost
max temp.

Cook the turkey according to it's weight.

allow 20 minutes for every pound the turkey weighs.
Plus say another 40 minutes for the oven.

Check the turkey every half hour to see if it needs basting
and that it is not burning.

Depending on it's weight it will take some hours but if you follow these simple
steps you are on your way to being a Christmas master chef and a hero
to your spouse and relations.

I hope this information helps you.

If you are doing a ham as well you place the ham in a pot of water
with a little salt and boil it. When it come to the boil reduce the temp
to half and boil the ham the same way as the turkey cooks.

20 minutes for every pound weight.

cheers.

Originally posted by johnnylongwoody
Make sure your turkey is oven ready.
If it is not then you will have to clean it out yourself.
This involves taking the internal organs out of the turkey.
You then wash the turkeys inside thoroughly.

Make sure the turkey you get fits into your oven.

Place the turkey in a metal baking tray quarter filled with oil.
You can put rashers of baco ...[text shortened]... oil the ham the same way as the turkey cooks.

20 minutes for every pound weight.

cheers.

Thanks. I can do a mean honey roast ham, and have the cloves and mustard and everything. I plan to do the ham the day before, and Nuke it on the big day.

Is it OK to prepare the Turkey the afternoon before (stuffing, bacon, etc)? I'm actually working nightshift Christmas eve, so i'd like to just put it in then nap for a couple of hours. I want to do roast potatoes, but see little time to do it unless i let the turkey cool down. will they be ok on the floor of the oven? I just have a small stove, so space will be a premium.

I should explain - My wife isn't western and neither are the guests. I wouldn't normally take on suck a task, but this will be their first proper Christmas with a proper Turkey if i pull this off. I've been a guest at a proper Xmas dinner, but never a cook...

Any other tips for the best Xmas day dinner? Cheesey music, Crackers, Tin of roses in the sitting room?

Originally posted by huckleberryhound
Thanks. I can do a mean honey roast ham, and have the cloves and mustard and everything. I plan to do the ham the day before, and Nuke it on the big day.

Is it OK to prepare the Turkey the afternoon before (stuffing, bacon, etc)? I'm actually working nightshift Christmas eve, so i'd like to just put it in then nap for a couple of hours. I want t ...[text shortened]... ps for the best Xmas day dinner? Cheesey music, Crackers, Tin of roses in the sitting room?

It is always best to do the turkey as early as you can because it
takes such a long time. I would recommend you do it at the earliest
opportunity.

Drinks and nibble are always a good idea too, but don't overdo it.
You want your guests to be ready for the main meal.

As for music? Who knows?

You will have to be sensitive to the needs of your guests
and do not put out any food they would normally avoid.

Where are they from anyway?

Don't use foil. Cook the turkey upside down until the last 30 minutes, turn over to for skin crispiness.

If you stuff the turkey make sure there's a layer of air between the stuffing ad the bird so it cooks properly, don't overcook it... when you remove it and putting a fort through the breast at the legs and seeing only white juices come out it's done, remove from over and leave to rest for at least 30 mins before serving, should be able to sit out for an hour before getting dry.

Originally posted by johnnylongwoody
It is always best to do the turkey as early as you can because it
takes such a long time. I would recommend you do it at the earliest
opportunity.

Drinks and nibble are always a good idea too, but don't overdo it.
You want your guests to be ready for the main meal.

As for music? Who knows?

You will have to be sensitive to the needs of ...[text shortened]... r guests
and do not put out any food they would normally avoid.

Where are they from anyway?

China. Authentic is the key here. It's not that particularly want to impress them, but i want to practice for when my daughter is old enough to know what's happening. She's 1, and will probably never remember the mistakes i make this year, but if i can hone this down before she's fully cognizant that'd be perfect 🙂

Originally posted by Trev33
Don't use foil. Cook the turkey upside down until the last 30 minutes, turn over to for skin crispiness.

If you stuff the turkey make sure there's a layer of air between the stuffing ad the bird so it cooks properly, don't overcook it... when you remove it and putting a fort through the breast at the legs and seeing only white juices come out it's done, r ...[text shortened]... r at least 30 mins before serving, should be able to sit out for an hour before getting dry.

How can you lay the bacon over it if you cook it upside down?

Originally posted by huckleberryhound I've never cooked a turkey before, and now i have to make one to feed 9 people...any tips?

Ham.

Originally posted by apathist
Ham.

Turkey AND ham is normal here....so.......yes.

What about the gravy?

Do you know how to make gravy or are you going to do the can thing?

http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49879097#49879097

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Originally posted by huckleberryhound

Thanks. I can do a mean honey roast ham, and have the cloves and mustard and everything. I plan to do the ham the day before, and Nuke it on the big day.

Is it OK to prepare the Turkey the afternoon before (stuffing, bacon, etc)? I'm actually working nightshift Christmas eve, so i'd like to just put it in then nap for a couple of hours. I want ...[text shortened]... ps for the best Xmas day dinner? Cheesey music, Crackers, Tin of roses in the sitting room?

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Originally posted by huckleberryhound
I've just found out that i'm off Christmas day, and the Wife has invited 7 people over. I've never cooked a turkey before, and now i have to make one to feed 9 people...any tips?

Emmigrating to Abu Dhabi is not an option, i'm afraid.

Get 2

Originally posted by Very Rusty
What about the gravy?

Do you know how to make gravy or are you going to do the can thing?

Depends if we get the neck and giblets with the Turkey. We might have to buy frozen what with it being so late, and i found a recipe for gravy using the giblets and i think carrot/onion/Celery, and the liquid from teh turkey tray minus hte fat.

Bottom line...i'll give it a shot, but i'll have some Packets of Swartzkoff on standbye.

And it cooks at 180c. People always cook it to long, that's why people say turkey is dry and tasteless... it's not, you just need to know what you're doing. I also like to cut the skin at the neck end and push a lot of seasoned butter between the breast and shin for extra flavor... basically the salt, pepper and butter seep into breast.

Originally posted by huckleberryhound
How can you lay the bacon over it if you cook it upside down?

Just use the bacon in the last hour or so, it's the fat that you want from the bacon so it doesn't matter if you put it on the back of the bird, it'll get where it';s supposed to go.