A turkey suggestion

blacbird · Nov 12, 2010

I posted this last year, I believe, but it's timely again. I got it from an Alton Brown show, and tried it, and it really does nice stuff for a baked turkey:

Just stuff the insides as much as possible with quartered citrus fruits, oranges, lemons and limes. Bake and baste otherwise as you normally would. You don't eat the stuffing, just discard it. But what it does for the moisture and flavor of the turkey is wondrous. Plus, being simple, I love simple, and this is it.

Haggis · Nov 12, 2010

I've not done that with turkey, but I have done it with chicken and it's wonderful. But I do so love the bread stuffing that I don't think I can bring myself to try it with a turkey.

kikazaru · Nov 12, 2010

blacbird said:
I posted this last year, I believe, but it's timely again. I got it from an Alton Brown show, and tried it, and it really does nice stuff for a baked turkey:

Just stuff the insides as much as possible with quartered citrus fruits, oranges, lemons and limes. Bake and baste otherwise as you normally would. You don't eat the stuffing, just discard it. But what it does for the moisture and flavor of the turkey is wondrous. Plus, being simple, I love simple, and this is it.

I've often stuffed roast chickens with quartered lemons, garlic cloves, and rosemary sprigs and it is lovely, so I can imagine Aton's method would do great things for turkey.

Ken · Nov 12, 2010

... will have to try this. Good and healthy way of flavoring up the bird.

Soccer Mom · Nov 12, 2010

ooh, I'm going to try this with a chicken. I'm always looking for new ways to roast a chicken.

Silver King · Nov 12, 2010

That stuffing method also works great for cooking whole fish. A few stitches sewn across the belly cut helps to keep the citrus from spilling out during cooking.

blacbird · Nov 12, 2010

One of the reasons this technique works well with turkey is that turkey, compared to chicken, is inherently dry. Especially the breast meat. This citrus thing is one way to infuse moisture during cooking.

Maryn · Nov 13, 2010

Is this with the rind intact?

Maryn, not big on peeling

brainstorm77 · Nov 13, 2010

Can you taste the citrus on the meat?

blacbird · Nov 13, 2010

For Maryn: Yes, rind and all.

For brainstorm: A faint bit, perhaps, more aroma than taste, but mainly it just imparts a very mellow moistness to the meat.

icerose · Nov 13, 2010

Agreed with others, don't forget the onions, garlic, and fresh herb sprigs such as rosemary, thyme, and sage. Lavendar if you like that and a nice olive oil and herbes de province rub for the outside. Makes a fantastic lightly flavored turkey that is moist and so delicious. It's so good I've had people cutting into my still cooking turkey because they can't wait for the whole turkey to cook.

blacbird · Nov 13, 2010

icerose said:
Agreed with others, don't forget the onions, garlic, and fresh herb sprigs such as rosemary, thyme, and sage. Lavendar if you like that and a nice olive oil and herbes de province rub for the outside.

I love olive oil, and use a lot of it in cooking, but have recently developed a major taste for sesame oil. That might be worth a try.

icerose · Nov 14, 2010

I'm all for experimenting. I personally prefer sesame oil for my asian cooking but now it has the wheels in my head turning. I've never tried making an asian turkey before! I might just have to try it. Maybe an orange sauce for the roasting with sesame oil rub.

kikazaru · Nov 14, 2010

icerose said:
I'm all for experimenting. I personally prefer sesame oil for my asian cooking but now it has the wheels in my head turning. I've never tried making an asian turkey before! I might just have to try it. Maybe an orange sauce for the roasting with sesame oil rub.

Mmm that sounds great, or maybe stuff the inside with oranges and the outside with the seasonings for Peking Duck?

Now my wheels are turning..*drool*

icerose · Nov 14, 2010

Yeah, or if you wanted to go the other way, a teriaki rub with sesame oil, teriaki sauce, some vinegar, some fresh ginger...

shawkins · Nov 14, 2010

Is the fruit stuffed idea in addition to or instead of brining? Any reason not to do both?

icerose · Nov 14, 2010

I use it instead of brining. Between a herb and salt rub and the citrus onion and garlic I haven't ever needed to brine. If you do both, report in and let me know how it turns out.

blacbird · Nov 14, 2010

shawkins said:
Is the fruit stuffed idea in addition to or instead of brining? Any reason not to do both?

None whatever. It's not like your brined turkey will explode when exposed to citrus.

Maryn · Nov 14, 2010

The salt flavor of brining and and the sharper citrus taste might make a nice contrast. A turkey Margarita, if you will.

Maryn, ducking

Haggis · Nov 14, 2010

Maryn said:
Maryn, duckling

Yes, I imagine that would be good with the citrus too.

MacAllister · Nov 14, 2010

I like to brine the turkey in apple juice, then stuff with citrus. Nom.

TerzaRima · Nov 14, 2010

The last two holidays, I soaked the bird in buttermilk, then stuffed the cavity with citrus sections as well as chunks of Granny Smith apples and onions. People went back for seconds and thirds.

Kitty Pryde · Nov 14, 2010

You know what else makes the turkey moist like crazy? Wrap that sucker in bacon!!

Best turkey I ever ate.

Jack Parker · Nov 14, 2010

I've never stuffed a bird with citrus before. Now I'll have to try this with a roast chicken because my curiosity is peaked!

Here's a recipe for turkey that I've been making for 20 years and I never fail to get asked for the recipe. I got it from a caterer friend. I've seen different versions of this recipe with the claim of all kinds of people developing it. I don't know when or who developed it but I won't make a turkey any other way. It saves valuable oven time for pies, stuffing and anything else you need to make!

Two Hour Turkey... Promise!

Wash and pat dry the turkey.
Place in roasting pan, breast side up. (Some say upside down but that's unnecessary.)
Lightly coat with olive oil and season how you like. (I use garlic salt and black pepper.)
Pour one can of chicken broth on the bottom of the pan. (Not over the turkey.)
Bake in preheated oven at 450*F for one hour. (The high heat sears the skin and seals in the juices.)
After one hour, pour another can of chicken broth on the bottom of the pan. (Only if you plan to make homemade gravy, but who doesn't?!)
Turn the oven down to 350* for one more hour.

After two hours your turkey timer will be popped-up and the bird a gorgeous, golden brown. If you have a very large turkey, it may take an extra 15 minutes but that only happened when I had a 22 or 24 pound bird.

Personally, I like peeling and crushing (with the flat of the knife) several cloves of garlic to add to the broth and putting a few inside the turkey. Helps make a tastier gravy, too!

It's the juiciest turkey you'll ever have. I'm not a name brand loyal person but, when it comes to turkey, I only buy Honeysuckle White.

I always make Vanilla Mashed Sweet Potatoes (made with vanilla beans) to go with my turkey. It's a nice change from the overly-sweetened and overly-buttered recipe that includes brown sugar and marshmallows. It has a comforting aroma that contributes to tryptophan effect of the turkey!

A turkey suggestion

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