The one roasted at high temperature ended up being done only about 15 minutes faster than the birds roasted at the conventional temperature. We let the birds set for 30 minutes to finish cooking and enable the juices to re-distribute evenly through the meat. The Times Tasting Panel waited eagerly as I carved the birds, both white meat and dark. The best-browned bird was the one we had brined. It was very moist -- both in the breast meat and in the thigh.
And the flavor was good, not salty at all but well-seasoned throughout. The high-temperature experiment was not nearly as successful as the brined. Far from solving the problem of the difference in doneness between dark and white meat, this magnified it. The flavor was fine, and the skin was brown and crisp. But though the breast meat had already started to dry out, the dark meat was still a little underdone -- it had that slightly rubbery rare-poultry texture and there was a little pink juice in the hip joint.
But the bird that got people most excited was the one we had Judy-ed. Unlike the brined turkey, which had a slightly spongy texture, the one that had only been salted was firm, meaty and smoothly dense.
And though it was a bit too salty as prepared this first go-round, the underlying flavor of the turkey was amazing -- deep and full. Suddenly, my Thanksgiving menu plans took a turn. This was one serious bird. People sampled it, went thoughtfully quiet a minute and then grabbed for more. The opinion of the panel was unanimous -- the Judy-ed bird, though it needed a bit of refinement to tone down the salt and crisp and brown the skin, was the clear winner.
Though it was certainly moist, the flavor was pallid in comparison with the other birds; it tasted more steamed than roasted. To further refine the pre-salted turkey, we tried it again, this time reducing the salt, allowing only a tablespoon for every 5 pounds of bird. To improve the browning, we started roasting the bird at degrees for 30 minutes instead of degrees. And we threw in one further wrinkle -- we brushed half of the bird with melted butter before it went into the oven to see what effect that had on browning and on flavor.
The turkey was a glorious brown all over -- the side brushed with butter might have had a slightly more golden color but only ever so slightly and there was no difference in flavor at all. The skin was nicely crisp. The white meat was only slightly less so. The problem with saltiness was solved. If anything, the breast meat could have used just a little more passed at the table for those of us with a salty palate. So next time, I might try upping the salt just a bit -- this is a recipe that will evolve over time.
And, maybe best of all, you no longer have to wrestle that big bucket of brine-soaked bird out of the refrigerator. Note: This is more a technique than a recipe. It makes a bird that has concentrated turkey flavor and fine, firm flesh and that is delicious as it is.
But you can add other flavors as you wish. Minced rosemary would be a nice finishing addition. Or brush the bird lightly with butter before roasting. Average of 5. Rate It! Add A Review Now! Comment on this. Comment By Eyemin. My wife said I should have left it on because that's how she closed the cavity to secure the stuffing.
She would sew it closed. Any suggestions? Cheese cloth? Signed, In the doghouse". Comment By Franli. Do you know if I need to cut the roasting time or roast it for longer? Reviewed By mjr. It explains why in this article. This was helpful information on how to roast a turkey. Reviewed By bam. Yes, your turkey will cook faster and it will be really moist. It may not get nicely browned but you can stick it back in the oven for browning once you take it out of the bag or cut the bag open and pull it down around the turkey and allow it to brown.
Just don't leave it in the oven too long or you will lose some of its moistness. Reviewed By sheila. Does it really cook the turkey faster? Reviewed By Artscet. Good things to know! Reviewed By food4me. This will help me out when I have to roast our Thanksgiving turkey.
I might have to buy a meat thermometer to help get the turkey done just right. I am tired of it not being done or dried out. Grilling Turkey. Barbecuing and Smoking Turkey. Turkey Rotisserie Grilling. Broiling Turkey. Sauteing Turkey. Pan-Frying Turkey. Deep Fried Turkey. Stir-Frying Turkey. Poaching Turkey. Braising Turkey. Stewing Turkey. Steaming Turkey.
That is the best and safest way to know when your turkey is ready without overcooking it. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the bird between the breast and thigh being sure not to hit bone. But that's only an estimate! The time will vary based on the exact size of the bird, as well as the size of the oven and how accurate its temperature gauge works, and whether or not the bird is stuffed. So let's say you've got a pound bird. For an pounder, you're probably looking at around 3.
For a pound turkey , settle in for the afternoon. This could take around 4 to 4. One note: We actually don't recommend you cook the stuffing inside the turkey. It increases the chances the turkey will cook unevenly and you miss out on the delicious crispy-crunchy bits of the stuffing. Use a stovetop recipe or bake your stuffing separately. We can't talk you out of it, huh? We get it: sometimes tradition outweighs other concerns.
Again, check that thermometer as well as your recipe and cooking instructions. If you are sans veggies, you can skip putting water in your roasting pan. Though "low and slow" is a good rule for cooking a bird all the way through without burning it, there's no hard-and-fast rule.
0コメント