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completely thawed or fresh turkey
cooking oil
aromatic veggies like celery, carrots or oranges
meat thermometer
big aluminum pan
aluminum foil
oven
clock
Make sure turkey is thawed. After sitting in the fridge four days
my 20 lber was still frosty firm. Following directions on package I left him
in his protective plastic bag and let him float in a sink of cold water for
a few hours.
Rinse and dry turkey. Remove the wacky stuff inside him. If needed, salt and heavily scrape out any big bits that tend to cling to spine. (yukky but true, at least the salt helps draw out any extra blood)
Preheat oven to 500. Rub cooking oil on turkey. I used olive oil. I didn't put stuffing inside it. I put roughly chopped celery, a celery stump, and a quartered orange in the turkey hole to help flavor the bird.
Rip off a big piece of aluminum foil, fold it in half, than half again, you want to make a triangle about the size of your turkey breast. Mash the triangle of foil onto your turkey's breast, mold it so it conforms to the shape of the bird and covers some of the wings. Remove the foil from the bird and put it someplace safe, you'll want it later.
Put the oiled bird in the super duper hot oven for only 30 minutes! This browns and sears the skin so it looks super, and keeps meat moist.
After 30 minutes, reduce heat to 350. Remove the hot bird from the oven and place the pre- formed aluminum triangle on his breast, this prevents overcooking the tender white meat. Also stick a meat thermometer in the biggest meatiest part of the breast. Put bird back into the 350 oven and except for the occasional peek at the meat thermometer, LEAVE IT ALONE.
DO NOT
- put anything in the oven with the turkey
- open and close the oven repeatedly
- baste, you don't have to
After almost 3 hours cooking time total, my bird reached the magic 180 degree temp. But every bird is special, use a meat thermometer.
Remove bird from oven and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes before you carve it. It will actually continue cooking for a while. This should allow time to cook other items in the oven. It will also allow ample time for your guests to admire your golden bird.
Trust me, your guests will admire your golden, beautiful, "As Seen on TV Turkey."
Yumm!
Actual, unretouched photo of the first turkey I ever cooked. I had NEVER made turkey before, scout's honor. I picked up this technique from some dude on TV, but not Emeril, stand by for Emeril rant.
Emeril drives me bonkers. People from New Orleans don't sound like Vinny Barbarino, unless they're YANKEES. And if they're Yankees its not right for them to represent Southern food to the world.
Oh yeah, back to the bird. It weighed just under 20 lbs and was frozen rock solid when I bought it.
Turkey Follow Up - Turkey Go Boom
Much like cold fusion, it seems this recipe or technique isn't THAT easy to reproduce. Click here to read what happened the SECOND time I tried to make a turkey for fun.
After I first posted this article a pal sent me this Bikini Bird. Following the directions on the right, i think you could do this, except instead of a foil triangle, make a foil bikini. BEWARE though, much like old beach broads, a bikini bird could get really dark, dry, creepy cleavage from exposure...