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How to Bake a Juicy Turkey

 

Basics of How-To

The juicy turkey is not a difficult task to accomplish once you know  how to do it. A juicy turkey is achieved when moisture is retained in the turkey. It is also achieved by the process of tenderizing. Brining and other processes serve to tenderize the turkey. By covering a roast turkey while baking, the juices are trapped and in the turkey resulting in a softer more succulent turkey.

The stuffing you put in a turkey also helps to create a more mellow, juicier turkey. Experiment with  some of the various tyles of dressings according to your taste. The addition of oter meats into the dressing releases more moisture into the turkey and gives a unique flavour as well as increased moisture.

Baking a juicy turkey requires much patience. The more care that is taken in preparing the turkey and basting the turkey, the juicer your turkey will be.

How to Bake a Juicy Turkey

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Instructions
Step 1
Brine the Turkey

Prepare the Brine: Place all brine ingredients (listed to your right) in a large saucepan, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Place defrosted, washed and clean turkey in brine and cover. Let sit for 24 hours. You can also add lemon or herbs to your brine mixture.

Step 2
Prepare the Dressing

Prepare the Dressing: Just before turkey is ready to be removed from brine, it is time to prepare the stuffing. Cook and crumble bacon on skillet. Drain fat. Add other stuffing ingredients (listed to your right), sauté for 1 minute then stir into stuffing. Set aside.   You can replace the bacon with farmer's sausage. Set aside.  

 

Step 3
Stuff the Turkey

 

Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees. Dry turkey with paper towels. Rub the cavity with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Pack the cavity loosely with the stuffing, ensuring it gets into the neck area.  Refridgerate remaining stuffing for later. Baste the turkey with melted butter.  Cover with foil or roaster cover.

Step 4
Bake the Turkey

Bake the Turkey: The secret to a juicy turkey is first the brine and second the basting - lots of it. Baste with melted butter or olive oil every 1/2 hour. You can also use the pan drippings for basting. You will need to cook about 12 to 15 minutes for every pound of turkey. About half hour before the turkey is done, remove the cover and allow to brown to your liking. If using a thermometer to determine if done, it should read 180 degreesF

Step 5
Plate the Turkey

 

Plate the turkey: When the turkey is done, remove from oven. Do not over bake. Allow to cool and then scoop out stuffing. Ensure all stuffing or as much as you can get, is removed and placed in serving dish. With help, move turkey by grabbing both ends of the rack, lifting turkey and gently sliding onto turkey dish. If you generally slice the turkey prior to plating, then move turkey unto solid surface and slice, then plate. Garnish and Enjoy!

 

 

What is Brining?

Brining is a popular method for improving the flavor and moisture content of lean meats like chicken, turkey, pork and seafood. This topic explains how brining works, which cuts of meat benefit most from brining, and concludes with a couple of recipes to get you started. Read More

Things Needed

Here is what you will need

Turkey

1 12 – 15 pound turkey

6 tablespoons butter

 

Stuffing

1 pound bacon or farmer's sausage

3/4 cup onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

2 cups regular stuffing mix

1 teaspoon each of thyme and sage

2/3 cup dried cranberries

4 tablespoons butter

 

Brine

Water  to cover the turkey approx 16 to 18 cups

2 cups pickling salt

4-6 cloves garlic chopped

 

Turkey Preparation Tips

Tips on preparing a turkey.

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Stuffing Recipe Links

Comments (1 to 3 of 3)

zteve t evans
Nov 25, 09 at 09:25 PM
Joan, The instructions are very good, the photos are great and the turkey smells fantastic!
Jaimela King
Nov 01, 09 at 04:13 AM
Thanks for the tip Raven. Ihave changed the font.
Raven Lebeau
Nov 01, 09 at 01:39 AM
Nicely done, Joan! This zone should be getting some major traffic in the next few weeks :) The photos look great. One small suggestion-- you might want to use a cleaner-looking font for the text in the how-to steps.

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Turkey - Frequently Asked Questions

Is it dangerous to roast a turkey in a disposable aluminum pan?

How often should the turkey be basted?

How long should turkey be marinated?

More FAQ's and Answers Here

Video instructions on stuffing a turkey

Stuffing a Turkey
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