De-boned whole turkey
Discussion
We gave up on whole turkeys for Christmas a few years ago and have generally cooked a crown, which has been adequate for the 8 or so people I’ve fed for the last few Christmases. The reason I gave up on whole birds was that by the time we’d eaten the leftovers they were inevitably a bit dry.
This year we bought a large frozen turkey from Aldi in November (don’t judge me - I don’t buy into the organic hand-reared, grass-fed turkey movement despite having bought a few in the past) and a couple of days before Christmas I de-boned the whole carcass, rolled and tied it around a pork stuffing ‘sausage’ and covered it in streaky bacon. I clearly won’t win any prizes for my string skills.
On the day it cooked in about 1hr 45m and was absolutely fantastic after resting - juicy and tender, with brown meat largely at one end and white meat at the other. It fed 5 on Christmas Day, 3 on Boxing Day, 4 on the 27th and made a turkey and ham pie for 10 on the 28th. It stayed moist (sorry to those for whom this is a trigger word!) throughout and nothing was thrown away.
I will never cook another whole turkey again without de-boning and rolling it.
Yep, I know that the last one looks like someone sharted all over it. It tasted good though. That was the last of the gravy that wouldn’t fit in the jug! I made stock from the de-boned carcass with some veg and herbs and it was magic.
This year we bought a large frozen turkey from Aldi in November (don’t judge me - I don’t buy into the organic hand-reared, grass-fed turkey movement despite having bought a few in the past) and a couple of days before Christmas I de-boned the whole carcass, rolled and tied it around a pork stuffing ‘sausage’ and covered it in streaky bacon. I clearly won’t win any prizes for my string skills.
On the day it cooked in about 1hr 45m and was absolutely fantastic after resting - juicy and tender, with brown meat largely at one end and white meat at the other. It fed 5 on Christmas Day, 3 on Boxing Day, 4 on the 27th and made a turkey and ham pie for 10 on the 28th. It stayed moist (sorry to those for whom this is a trigger word!) throughout and nothing was thrown away.
I will never cook another whole turkey again without de-boning and rolling it.
Yep, I know that the last one looks like someone sharted all over it. It tasted good though. That was the last of the gravy that wouldn’t fit in the jug! I made stock from the de-boned carcass with some veg and herbs and it was magic.
I bone mine out and stuff it but keep it in the shape of the turkey. I use butchers string to sew it back up.
I then pot roast it in red wine in a large casserole tin.
Once the turkey is cooked I lift it out and then thicken the remaining sauce to serve it with.
It keeps the turkey very moist.
The boning out is a bit of a faff but better since we don't have cats anymore who were always trying to help!
I then pot roast it in red wine in a large casserole tin.
Once the turkey is cooked I lift it out and then thicken the remaining sauce to serve it with.
It keeps the turkey very moist.
The boning out is a bit of a faff but better since we don't have cats anymore who were always trying to help!
w1bbles said:
We gave up on whole turkeys for Christmas a few years ago and have generally cooked a crown, which has been adequate for the 8 or so people I’ve fed for the last few Christmases. The reason I gave up on whole birds was that by the time we’d eaten the leftovers they were inevitably a bit dry.
This year we bought a large frozen turkey from Aldi in November (don’t judge me - I don’t buy into the organic hand-reared, grass-fed turkey movement despite having bought a few in the past) and a couple of days before Christmas I de-boned the whole carcass, rolled and tied it around a pork stuffing ‘sausage’ and covered it in streaky bacon. I clearly won’t win any prizes for my string skills.
On the day it cooked in about 1hr 45m and was absolutely fantastic after resting - juicy and tender, with brown meat largely at one end and white meat at the other. It fed 5 on Christmas Day, 3 on Boxing Day, 4 on the 27th and made a turkey and ham pie for 10 on the 28th. It stayed moist (sorry to those for whom this is a trigger word!) throughout and nothing was thrown away.
I will never cook another whole turkey again without de-boning and rolling it.
Yep, I know that the last one looks like someone sharted all over it. It tasted good though. That was the last of the gravy that wouldn’t fit in the jug! I made stock from the de-boned carcass with some veg and herbs and it was magic.
Looks competent enough - turkey-shaped - as opposed to my first efforts trying to wrestle a flaccid, baggy sack of a 'chicken' into anything someone might want to actually eat....This year we bought a large frozen turkey from Aldi in November (don’t judge me - I don’t buy into the organic hand-reared, grass-fed turkey movement despite having bought a few in the past) and a couple of days before Christmas I de-boned the whole carcass, rolled and tied it around a pork stuffing ‘sausage’ and covered it in streaky bacon. I clearly won’t win any prizes for my string skills.
On the day it cooked in about 1hr 45m and was absolutely fantastic after resting - juicy and tender, with brown meat largely at one end and white meat at the other. It fed 5 on Christmas Day, 3 on Boxing Day, 4 on the 27th and made a turkey and ham pie for 10 on the 28th. It stayed moist (sorry to those for whom this is a trigger word!) throughout and nothing was thrown away.
I will never cook another whole turkey again without de-boning and rolling it.
Yep, I know that the last one looks like someone sharted all over it. It tasted good though. That was the last of the gravy that wouldn’t fit in the jug! I made stock from the de-boned carcass with some veg and herbs and it was magic.
Yeah Jacques Pépin makes it look easy, and it's not.
What's the plan for the pannetone lurking right of shot?
Mobile Chicane said:
What's the plan for the pannetone lurking right of shot?
I dunno. Leave it on the shelf for 11 months and re-gift it? Probs toast some of it and chuck the rest out. It was a present and I can’t be bothered with them.Ideas for someone who doesn’t have a sweet tooth…
w1bbles said:
Mobile Chicane said:
What's the plan for the pannetone lurking right of shot?
I dunno. Leave it on the shelf for 11 months and re-gift it? Probs toast some of it and chuck the rest out. It was a present and I can’t be bothered with them.Ideas for someone who doesn’t have a sweet tooth…
'Pinching bits out to enjoy with coffee' as (allegedly Italians do) isn't an option. Coffee gives me the s
ts.Either bread and butter pudding, or lob it out for the birds / foxes.
Good work OP, I started deboning my turkey a couple of years ago and cooking it is a water bath (as I was short of oven space), haven't looked back since.
The only difference is I dont put the sausage meat stuffing inside anymore as I can then cook it to a lower temperature for even moister results.
I also remove the skin, as using a water bath you get a rather revolting flacid chewy skin which doesnt crisp up easily with a quick flash in a pan.
The only difference is I dont put the sausage meat stuffing inside anymore as I can then cook it to a lower temperature for even moister results.
I also remove the skin, as using a water bath you get a rather revolting flacid chewy skin which doesnt crisp up easily with a quick flash in a pan.
Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff