Does anyone have a different way of cooking turkey?

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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I took this 17 pound bird out of the freeze Yesterday. I've been trying to think of something other than just baking it in the oven, We were at our children's house for Christmas so we still have this damn turkey. I have a recipe that calls for the turkey to be hacked up, browned, and braised for several hours.....Any ideas???
 

VanIsle

Always thinking
Nov 12, 2008
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You could hack it up as you say and then roast the breasts. Boil some of the other parts for soup and turkey pot pie. Nothing tastier than a nice turkey pot pie. Takes away that "Christmas Dinner" taste.
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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Thanks people;

What I'm going to do is cut the turkey up like a frying chicken and brown it. I have some good turkey stock and I will braise that bird for a couple hours with a few vegetables and hope for the best.......cheers...:smile:
 

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
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You might want to try taking some of that raw bird, slicing a few strips and rolling them up with stuff inside. Then wrap each one is a strip of nice thick bacon. I tried this with chicken and it rocked.

Move away from the traditional seasonings and go for exotic.
 

#juan

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I cut the turkey into it's component parts; wings, drumsticks, thighs. The breast was still a little frozen so it got relegated back to the freezer. I cut the tips off the wings, threw the tips into the stock pot and cut the wings in half at the joint.

I browned all the pieces in hot oil and arranged them in a large Dutch Oven. Among all the pieces I layed in a coarsely chopped onion, a dozen large fresh mushrooms, and a half dozen good sized carrots scrubbed and cut in half. I had turkey stock but instead, I used two cans of Cambell's beef broth and three large bay leaves and a generous amount of ground black pepper. I put the lid on and put it in the oven at 325 degrees for half an hour. Turned the oven down to 275 degrees and cooked it for another two hours.

This was well worth doing. The turkey was moist and tender and just about falling off the bone. I served it with tiny new potatoes, gravy, brocolli, and baby corn cobs, and a garden salad. A whole new thing to do with yet another turkey. This just might become my favorite way to cook turkey......:smile:
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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juan, when are you coming out with a cookbook??

Thanks for the compliment.......The only thing stopping me is getting the inclination and the ambition together at the same time. On the other hand, if we keep adding to the recipes here we won't need one....;-)
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
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bliss
This just might become my favorite way to cook turkey......:smile:

Alright, that sounds like a fair way to cook a turkey juan... BUT... please promise me not to make turkey this way for holidays unless everyone in the house is in agreement! There's just a certain something about a properly roasted bird with stuffing, that makes a holiday. My m.i.l.'s penchant for chopping up and cooking the bird in foil just doesn't create a holiday turkey. I always feel (although full and happy with the meal) like I somehow missed out on something.
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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Alright, that sounds like a fair way to cook a turkey juan... BUT... please promise me not to make turkey this way for holidays unless everyone in the house is in agreement! There's just a certain something about a properly roasted bird with stuffing, that makes a holiday. My m.i.l.'s penchant for chopping up and cooking the bird in foil just doesn't create a holiday turkey. I always feel (although full and happy with the meal) like I somehow missed out on something.

Hi Karrie
I know there is a certain charm to bringing a nicely browned, stuffed turkey to your table. I think if a person used a bit of artistic licence, you might be able to arrange the cooked, browned parts on a mound of dressing to make it sort of look like a traditional holliday bird. This way of cooking certainly does wonders for the thighs and wings.(the turkey's thighs and wings. I don't know what it does for mine..;-) Hey. Maybe we could braise the whole damn bird....;-):lol:
 

Nuggler

kind and gentle
Feb 27, 2006
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They have these things called "turkey fryers", Juan........No sh#t, really do.

And they fill or partially fill them with (cooking) oil, turn on the propane heat, (they're heated by propane - as in fuel), heat up the oil, and dunk in a turkey.....which has been previously killed, drawn, and prucked.

I don't know if they shove dressing in its' ass or just dunk'em in au naturel ; and how long they cookem for is anyone's guess.

But, you were asking about a "different" method, and this sure is one.

We used to take a buddies' turkey fryer on fishing trips to cook walleye, and it did a great job on them (the walleye).

Coated, deep fried, artery-plugging, walleye, served with copious amounts of cold beer. Is there anything more Canadian? Well, we wore maple leafs on our hats, too.............eh

8O
 

#juan

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I don't think I've ever seen one of those Nuggler. How big a turkey can you cook with one?

I have to agree with Karrie regarding the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. In our house we traditionally have turkey at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. With the braised turkey I was impressed that though the meat was still quite firm, I could pull all the bones out of the wings.
 

Nuggler

kind and gentle
Feb 27, 2006
11,596
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Backwater, Ontario.
I don't think I've ever seen one of those Nuggler. How big a turkey can you cook with one?

I have to agree with Karrie regarding the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. In our house we traditionally have turkey at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. With the braised turkey I was impressed that though the meat was still quite firm, I could pull all the bones out of the wings.


Well, I don't quite fit in one, but:.......here's a link for a complete description, and a picture. Very popular in Southern US, so that should tell ya somethun.
Turkey fryer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

8O
 

#juan

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Well, I don't quite fit in one, but:.......here's a link for a complete description, and a picture. Very popular in Southern US, so that should tell ya somethun.
Turkey fryer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

8O

Thanks for the info Nuggler.......Though it doesn't particularly turn my crank, I'm sure there are people out there(read down there) who would get a kick out of mounting it on the tailgate of their favourite pickup truck along with a few cases of cold beer to go with it. There was talk of the thing turning into a vertical flame thrower under certain conditions which could be entertaining as long as it was somebody else's. ;-):lol:
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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Alright, that sounds like a fair way to cook a turkey juan... BUT... please promise me not to make turkey this way for holidays unless everyone in the house is in agreement! There's just a certain something about a properly roasted bird with stuffing, that makes a holiday. My m.i.l.'s penchant for chopping up and cooking the bird in foil just doesn't create a holiday turkey. I always feel (although full and happy with the meal) like I somehow missed out on something.

Karrie I think there will always be a stuffed, roast turkey on at least two of the three hollidays I mentioned, but the braised turkey I just made impressed me enough that we will be having turkey more than just on those hollidays. If you ever feel you want to try braising a turkey, I would suggest boning the thighs before cooking. They are too big for one serving and difficult to cut in half with the bone in.
 

Risus

Genius
May 24, 2006
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Thanks for the info Nuggler.......Though it doesn't particularly turn my crank, I'm sure there are people out there(read down there) who would get a kick out of mounting it on the tailgate of their favourite pickup truck along with a few cases of cold beer to go with it. There was talk of the thing turning into a vertical flame thrower under certain conditions which could be entertaining as long as it was somebody else's. ;-):lol:

They cooked a turkey at work once with one of these friers and it was excellent. The moisture is sealed in the bird.

You are correct in that they can be dangerous if not used correctly.
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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We still have the turkey breasts left. We had the last of the braised turkey last night. One idea is to slice the breasts quite thin and pound them a little and bread them to make kind of turkey schnitzels. Any other ideas?