Turkey Trappings

Every year I'm astonished at the silly ideas that surface about cooking a turkey. The idea of starting it breast-side down for instance, and then turning it on its back halfway through. That's both dangerous and pointless. The idea of roasting the bird in an oven bag that could produce a steamed flavor. The idea of buying a prebasted turkey which is supposed to insure juiciness but often just means it's an inferior turkey.

The truth is, it's not hard to cook a turkey in a gimmick-free manner though the size can be intimidating. Just roast the darn thing in a medium oven, first uncovered. Then cover with foil when it gets brown enough and continue to roast until done. And if you are really worried about doneness, buy a thermometer. It's cheap and can be used when you cook other foods. 

Comments

[LakeOntarioCook]

James Beard had the best technique- butter the bird inside and out- sprinkle lemon juice over and inside. Roast at 325-350 to about 150-155. I have convection oven that puts a beautiful brown on the bird w/out worrying about covering. Delish...

[Kitty]

We have used cooking bags for turkeys almost every year since they came on the market, and have never had a dry or flavorless turkey. Never. The bags work wonderfully well, often cooking a large bird in 3-1/2 hours or less. It comes out juicy and brown, the temp is exactly where it's supposed to be for safety, and it makes cleanup a lot easier. And for the record, I do not work for a company that either manufactures or distributes this product. I really don't understand why people think cooking a turkey requires some kind of special, mysterious technique or esoteric equipment. With a bag or not, it's just a bird!

[McBea]

Every year we remark on how the turkey is the easiest part of the whole meal. You basically throw it in and forget about it for a few hours. It is all the side dishes that require a lot of work.