Talking turkey

Hello All,

Christmas is at ours this year so family and friends coming. We don't eat meat but I want to cook a nice turkey for the majority of guests who look forward to that as part of the christmas tradition. I haven't bought or cooked meat for such a long time so it's all a bit of a mystery.

I want to buy a turkey that is free range (best welfare possible is important) and I suppose fresh as opposed to frozen. I'm assuming these are the best options?

What I don't know is whether buying at a supermarket (a friend recommended Sainsburys) or getting at a butchers is generally best (we have a butchers in the village, though never been in it and frankly they could sell me a duck and I wouldn't know). I have asked neighbours but they haven't been much help (one buys a crown and the other has roast beef).

As you can see, not really sure what I'm talking about, but hope for a bit of guidance on this.

Thanks
GG

 

If you wish to get one from your local butcher, you really should order it asap.

From the years when we had turkey, my experience was that supermarket turkey is cheaper than from a butcher but the butcher would be able to tell you precisely which farm he had purchased his turkey from. Also, your local butcher would be more than happy to advise on the best way to cook it (temperature, how long etc).

As you don't eat meat you really don't want to get one too large because it would simply be a waste of your money if you can't use the leftovers. So, to gauge the size you would need, you would need to allow approx. 6-8oz of meat per person (depending on their appetite ). Sounds a lot but that is the rule of thumb for any meat which comes on the bone.

The last time I cooked a turkey for Christmas dinner I used a turkey roasting bag and it came out succulent and tasty

 

Crikey!!

Did you report it?

 

Turkey crown , no waste easy to cook and carve

 

Fresh is much better than frozen, frozen can be a bit tasteless and then there is finding somewhere to put it while it defrosts, and then there is the wondering if it has completely defrosted. too much hassle, buy fresh!!

 

Val is this fresh enough

 

Turkey crown here..Lot easier to cook than a whole turkey

 

Thanks for all the replies, really useful.

The crown idea wouldn't work as I know that my brother is mad about the leg and I want to do it like I remember as a nipper.

I think I will have a chat with the butcher tomorrow and see if that seems suitable.
@JWK I think my nearest Waitrose is about 40 miles away so a bit of a PITA.
@M I like the idea of the roasting bag, have done a recce and they promise to 'eliminate washing up' which is always a bonus, amazing inventions these days aren't there, I can't wait to see how it manages with the crockery and cutlery!! It will also hopefully reduce any handling (I will be recruiting someone to do the hand up the bum stuff).

A couple of additional questions.
Sage and Onion stuffing is traditional in my family, I remember when I was young, so sticking with that (will make extra in a separate non-meat tray for us), will doing it work in the bag?
In the bag, is it self basting or do you have to open and baste throughout?

Thanks all.
GG

 

Mix some sausage meat with the sage & onion.

 

No, no, no! You cannot put your crockery and cutlery in the roasting bag to save on washing up!!! Although, who knows ... technology may even get there too, one day!

Ok, here goes:-

1) "hand up bum stuff" - you don't stuff the bum end ... ... you stuff the neck end! (This harks back to the days when salmonella was an issue and was promoted by our Gov as "the safe end") As for "handling", pop a couple of bags over your hand and stuff away with careless abandon because you won't "feel" a thing

2) S&O stuffing can still be .. erm ... "stuffed" (neck end! ) into your turkey before going into the roasting bag. However, a couple of points: a) don't forget to add the combined weight of turkey plus stuffing so you can calculate the correct cooking time and b) you would need to open the roasting bag for, say, 20 minutes before the end of cooking time to brown the outside of the turkey.

3) Effectively, the turkey becomes "self basting". Essentially, any juices will escape the bird (into the bag) and will sort of steam the turkey/stuffing - hence why it is advised that you open the bag for the last 20 minutes of cooking. Because of this, no additional basting is required and you end up with a far more succulent bird than traditional "dry" roasting.

4) From experience a tip I would like to pass on is this: Do *not* open the bag (think steam burns! Ouchie! ) That final 20 minutes to open the bag and let the bird/stuffing brown? With oven gloves on, lift the turkey in the bag up from the baking dish, snip a small corner of the bag OVER A WIDE JUG (or pan) - and let those (very hot!) juices pour out of the open corner into a wide jug/receptacle. Only *then* open the, now juice free, roasting bag, dispose of bag and return the turkey to the oven (sans bag) to crisp and brown. The meat juices are now cleanly separated for making a gravy with while the bird gets on and browns off on its own.

5) Just as a point of note: stuffing does not *have* to be cooked inside the bird. You can cook all of your stuffing in a separate dish - the meat eaters will never guess: shh!

6) Bravo to you! I think it is wonderful that, as a non-meat eater, you are going to the time and trouble of catering for those loved ones who are They are so going to love you at Christmas dinner!

 

What about doing two stuffings..one veggie with perhaps chestnuts, and one including sausagemeat and beaten egg. It makes a terrific difference to a packet of Paxo adding sausagemeat and egg and adding more seasoning!

 

First heard about it way back when during the salmonella outbreak/panic. And yes, it is a much smaller cavity so stuffing balls on the side makes up for it


Ok, just found this, which you might find this interesting:

 

would go with fresh from a local butcher also. I do stuff the turkey. Stuffing ingredients can be a personal thing. what ever size you get , do look up the length of time and temp in the oven. My mom, and now I do, would have the oven up to 500 degrees for the first 20 mins then take it down to 325 for the balance of 3 to 5 hours (depending on size) And covering it with foil for the first half of the time. The last half of the time it is uncovered and basted with turkey broth (homemade), but cans can do if you did not make it home made, I baste every 20 mins or so. As you do not eat meat, hope you have someone that will deal with the good left overs. And as a frugal cook, I at the end make a turkey pot pie for the freezer and make turkey bone soup/broth for the freezer. Cats also get some of the goodies. And --have lived to tell that I do leave the stuffing in the bird.