Help! My First Turkey is Bigger Than Me

snackalot — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:48:08 GMT

I have just agreed to make a turkey for 15 people. I’ve never made a turkey before. Joey and I volunteered to host a holiday dinner party for our friends, and we happen to have a turkey from my mother-in-law in our chest freezer. We figured it was the perfect time to use it. Now, if it were any old turkey, I wouldn’t be too nervous. But the ice-covered bird that awaits me is 24 pounds - it's like a little turkey glacier, and the thought of cooking it leaves me feeling a tad overwhelmed.

How does one thaw and then cook a beast of a bird? When do I take it out to thaw? And must it thaw in my refrigerator? If so, I will have to evict almost all of its inhabitants, including my good friends, cheese and yogurt. Also, how long and at what temp do I cook it? How often do I baste it and what liquids do I baste it with? Finally, I want to try brining it (I’ve determined that I’ll need a Rubbermaid bin and a cold garage to do this). Anyone know a good recipe? And how do I make gravy?

This is all so new to me, as you can tell. I feel like it’s a right of passage in a way. I’m looking forward to making it and have visions of me pulling the mammoth turkey from our oven, its skin a dark golden brown and meat perfectly cooked. Our friends will oooh and ahhh and Joey and I can feel proud of our ability to cook elephantine poultry. Our dinner party is December 23rd – keep your fingers crossed for us. I’ll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, please answer any of the above questions.

snackalot : gravy

Help! My First Turkey is Bigger Than Me