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Turkey


deangold

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Well.. I bought a $35 bone in turkey breast from WF and followed the online directions and it was a disaster- the internal temp never rose above 145 after 3 1/2 hours- I guess the temp indicator isn't accurately measuring or the air wasn't circulating, but it should have cooked easily in that time- finished it off in the oven but it was dry.

Glad I did a dry run- will borrow a neighbor's oven for turkey day!

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You're smart to do a dry run-I'm in a similar dilemma, tasked w/ bringing smoked turkey to the family gathering, I remember the last time, when my smoked turkey was underdone & I had to commandeer the oven-how embarrassing. So this year, I'm trying to decide whether to do it ahead of time & reheat, or smoke it overnight & take my chances again. It's so fricking cold already (I think the wind ruined it last time). I have 2 birds- 14.25 & 9.5 lbs, I was going to get 1 & a breast, but getting a whole bird was more economical.

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In my love hate realtionship with my former employers (I love that they gave me enough stock to create a restaurant off the proceeds, I hate the mediocrity that dominates their stores and product selection etc), I must say that a WFM Turkey is worth every dollar it costs, jsut as a free bird from Giant is over priced! The WFM bird is lean without any chemicals or additives. It cook in about 10 miutes a pound to a mouthwatering perfection. The gravy will taste of gravy and not of the salt brine all too many birds are soaked in before bing frozen months before the big day.

DO not follow the WFM instructions--- start the bird breast down for 20 minutes at 425 on a rack. Flip the bird breast up and roast for another 30 minutes. Turn the over down to 325 and roast until your bird has cooked a total of 10 minutes to the pound. Test for doneness in the thigh with an instant read thermomiter. If its 140 its done to medium. If you are a germ freak, take the thigh to 150, but you will have burnt thighs and dry breasts... not a pretty sight!

Let the bird rest for 20-30 minutes while you make the gravy. Pour the drippings into a large bowl. Deglaze te pan with water, red wine, bourbon, armagnac, cognac, etc. Scrape every bit of dripping and crusty parts into the bowl. Thhey are flavorful and necessary to a good gravy. Defat as you see fit.

Make a roux of flour and butter and strain the hot drippings into the roux, stirring till smooth. Simmer 20 minutes. You can strain now. You can also add a load of sauteed mushrooms and or giblets as well. I usually take the neck and make a stock the night before and add that too. By the way, you can add herbs to the gravy but I rub my bird with loads of herbs, garlic and olive oil before roasting it. I rum the mix inside and out and under the skin. This flavors the resultant dripping well enough for a tasty gravy. I just adust with S&P.

Dean, could I use this on a Maple Lawn turkey, I assume so?

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