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***hposey*** edited: paged the wrong nestie the first time
edited: paged the wrong nestie the first time
i just saw your post about thanksgiving and cooking a turkey, but it was a while back. i thought i'd page you with my turkey cooking tips in case your'e still thinking of doing one.
i agree with the others in your original post about including your future in-laws in the cooking. if they're the kind of people who won't make you insane doing so, that is.
that
said, it's not hard to cook a turkey. it's daunting when it's your
first one (i know i was nervous the first time i cooked one) but it's
really not that hard. i recommend brining your turkey. you can make
your own brine (there are a zillion recipes online) or just use the brining mix from williams-sonoma. here's an excellent recipe/method
for roasting turkey from cook's country that is especially good for a
beginner/first thanksgiving cook. it's failsafe... i've used it many
times, and you can adjust the cooking time for a bigger bird (though
you shouldn't need a bigger one for four people).
i've never done a dry brine so can't speak to that, but if you do a traditional brine (i.e. submerged in liquid), here are my tips:
* don't buy expensive brining bags. use a regular white kitchen trash bag.
* if you're brining in the fridge you don't need ice. just stick the turkey/brining bag in a container that's large enough in case of a leak.
*start brining two days before thanksgiving because you will need to...
*pull the turkey out of the brine and put it back in the fridge,
uncovered, for 24 hours before cooking. this will dry the skin out enough that it
will be crispy. some people claim if your turkey goes directly from brine to
oven the skin isn't as crispy. i've never had this problem but started doing the 24 hour rule just in case.
*if you're short on fridge space or don't have a container that's big enough for your turkey in the brine, use a cooler with ice and stick it on the back porch/deck. if it's cold where you are, an open tub of some sort with ice is good too, though some sort of lid is good to discourage critters (never had a problem but you never know).
*if
you're using a cooler, fill it 1/4 to 1/3 with ice, then put the turkey
in the brining bag into the container, then add the brine, then add
more ice. the first time i did it i filled the bag w/ the turkey in
the sink and then had to transfer a 23 lb turkey in gallons of liquid
into the container. can you say nerve wracking newbie mistake?
*general rule of thumb is 20 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey, i think 15 for unstuffed.
*stuff the turkey. it's so much better than dressing cooked in the oven.
*when stuffing your turkey, line the cavity with cheesecloth, then put in the stuffing. you still have to use a spoon to get the stuffing in and out, but once you're clear enough when removing it you just pull the cheesecloth and you're done. no scraping around to make sure you've gotten it all.
it sounds like a lot, and thxgiving dinner is a lot of work, but it's so worth it and the steps as you go along aren't hard. your turkey will be great!