Turkey Cooking times.....

[tvradict]

My mum needs to know a General guide for cooking a turkey.

The label on the back of the Turkey says 45minutes per kilo which for a 6Kilo Turkey would be 4.5 hours Crispy Aromatic Turkey anyone?

My Grandma who seems to have an uncanny ability to cook EVERYTHING until it could be mistaken for building materials thinks that 4.5 hours isn't enough.

We both think 4.5 hours is FAR too long.

Anyone got a better idea, we like our turkey nice a moist no so dry you need a pint to wash every mouthful down.

I looked on the UKTVFood site an Anthony Wobbler Thomson says that 2hours 15 is about right, but you must cover the boobs and hoofs after an hour.

TIA
Stuart

Merry Christmas.

PS, if this post makes bugger all sense its because I've been on the Sauce for the last hour

[Don]

It depends. What *temperature* are you doing the turkey at.

40 mins per kilo plus 20 sounds about right at 180 degrees C (ish).

I'm doing Goose and will be doing it covered at 200 for 40 per kilo plus 20 with the last hour uncovered. Loads of salt on the skin to draw out the far and make it crispy - yummy!

[tvradict]

Ah, that was the missing bit. It was 45 minutes per Kilo at 190 C. Anthony Wobbler says that 2hrs odd at 200C.

Thanks for the reply Don.

[Migsy]

2.15 hrs is spot on for a 4.5 kilo bird unstuffed, add another 25 mins if its stuffed. 4hrs was enough on the 8 kilo turkey I did last weekend.

I usually cover mine from the beginning and take off for the last 30 mins to crisp up.

[tubbystu]

From the BBC website..........

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time over 2 hours

Ingredients
1 organic turkey, 5kg/11¼lb in weight
60g/2oz butter

Method
1. Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Put the turkey, breast side up, in a roasting tin, smear over 60g/2oz butter and cover loosely with foil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn down the heat to 180C/350F/Gas 4 for 20 minutes per 500g/1lb. Baste from time to time with the buttery juices.
2. Uncover the turkey after this time, turn the heat back up to 220C/425F/Gas 7 for 30-40 minutes to brown the skin.
3. Take the turkey out of the oven and test it is cooked by putting a skewer into its thigh. The juices should run clear.
4.Cover with foil again and allow to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes before carving.
5. Make a gravy with the juices and serve with bread sauce and bacon rolls.

[markmullen]

We've got a 10lb Victorian Stuffed Goose:

Coppin Butchers Website said:

Better know as a 'Victorian Stuffed Goose' this rare dish consists of a boned Goose stuffed with a boned chicken stuffed with a boned pheasant with a boned quail at the centre. Each bird is separated with a thin layer of homemade forcemeat made by us to the original recipe. The whole thing is then hand stitched back into the original size and shape of the goose

Anyone know how to cook this badboy?

[moleamol]

markmullen said:

We've got a 10lb Victorian Stuffed Goose: Coppin Butchers Website said: Better know as a 'Victorian Stuffed Goose' this rare dish consists of a boned Goose stuffed with a boned chicken stuffed with a boned pheasant with a boned quail at the centre. Each bird is separated with a thin layer of homemade forcemeat made by us to the original recipe. The whole thing is then hand stitched back into the original size and shape of the goose Anyone know how to cook this badboy?

No but I could help you out eating it

[fid]

markmullen said:

We've got a 10lb Victorian Stuffed Goose: Coppin Butchers Website said: Better know as a 'Victorian Stuffed Goose' this rare dish consists of a boned Goose stuffed with a boned chicken stuffed with a boned pheasant with a boned quail at the centre. Each bird is separated with a thin layer of homemade forcemeat made by us to the original recipe. The whole thing is then hand stitched back into the original size and shape of the goose Anyone know how to cook this badboy?

Hugh Fernley Whittingstall was doing something like that on River Cottage this week...10 birds inside of each other I think!

[markmullen]

fid said:

Hugh Fernley Whittingstall was doing something like that on River Cottage this week...10 birds inside of each other I think!

The original one was 17 one inside another including amongst other things a Buzzard. Can't imagine the RSPB would be too chuffed if I went out and smoked a Buzzard for Christmas dinner.

[2 Smokin Barrels]

There's a lot to be said for Chicken Tikka Masala! Five minutes in the micro.....

[JonRB]

We have a 4kg bird (3.98kg if the packaging is to believed ) and it says that cooking time is "approximately 3 hrs 55 mins" (presumably an 'accurate' time would measure down to milliseconds)

The back of the packaging then goes into further detail and recommends 45 mins per kg + 20 mins at 170 degC (fan oven) or 190 degC (conventional), which actually equates to 3 hrs 19 mins, so "approximately 3 hrs 55 mins" is bloody approximately wrong if you ask me.

I can't stand overcooked turkey either though, so I may heed some of the advice here and shorten the time a little.

Edit: Or quite a lot, for that matter. 2 hrs for a 4kg turkey (stuffed) sounds a little short though. Are you totally sure? I don't want to give my family food poisoning.

Edit2: Actually, the Delia Christmas book advocates much the same strategy as the BBC recipe posted earlier. So there you go.

>> Edited by JonRB on Friday 24th December 21:21

[Migsy]

All depends on the cooking temperature its suggesting and the type of oven you've got. Fan electric will be quicker. I've got a gas oven, which cooks quicker/hotter at the top than the bottom.

4kg at 170c temp will be longer than a 4kg at 190c temp.

8kg at 4hrs was perfect (on 190c)..11 out of 11 guests can't be wrong (and none were ill!) That's unstuffed btw.

Remember to turn it every 45 mins too..I always start mine upside down..keeping as much juice running into the breast. Baste frequently too, for the same reason.

[JonRB]

I have just been informed by my wife that she has been cooking Christmas turkey dinners every year since she left home at the age of 19 (ie. for the past years) and that we are having a Delia Christmas and following Delia's recipe (which as previously mentioned is very similar to the BBC one) at which point I am now bowing out of this discussion.

[Migsy]

JonRB said:

I have just been informed by my wife that she has been cooking Christmas turkey dinners every year since she left home at the age of 19 (ie. for the past years) and that we are having a Delia Christmas and following Delia's recipe (which as previously mentioned is very similar to the BBC one) at which point I am now bowing out of this discussion.

Have a good one

Got to get the gammon out of the oven now

[BrianTheYank]

Deep Frying owns all

[bga]

BrianTheYank said:

Deep Frying owns all

The missus won't let me brine our turkey this year - another tradition from you guys too I believe.

[BrianTheYank]

bga said:

BrianTheYank said: Deep Frying owns all The missus won't let me brine our turkey this year - another tradition from you guys too I believe.

brine? whats that, never heard of it.