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Thanksgiving turkey Q

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I think the problem is if it's still frozen you have to modify time and temperature so as to not overcook the outside while the inside is still cold. But once you do that you increase the amount of time the poultry spends in the danger zone and chances of food borne illness increase greatly.
 
ponyo said:
It wouldn't add that much time. It might add another hour to the cooking. Not enough time to really overcook the outside.

I should try it for science just to confirm, but I'm pretty sure it will turn out fine.
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Provided you roast it "low and slow" in the area of 300f it shouldn't dry out too badly.

Having done both thawed and frozen several times however I'd say fully thaw it if you have the time. You can accelerate this process by submerging the bird (tightly wrapped in plastic like a trash bag) in COLD water for a few hours.
 
I have been smoking turkeys for about 10 years now. It hands down beats an oven cooked turkey.

I have used Alton Browns brine, Steven Raichlen's The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey (brined and hickory smoked), and Williams Sonoma brine.

I make the brine and then let it cool to room temperature and then put the some ice into the Briner bucket. Then add the turkey and more ice and water until it covers the turkey. The lid keeps the turkey from floating. And i let it sit outside overnight. Where I live it gets cold enough that I don't have worry about the refrigerator. If is is snowing then in the garage it goes.

the next day I take it to the Big Green Egg with a fan control to cook. I use a short sided pan with apples and oranges to keep it from burning. It is also a great starter for the gravy.

I found Steven's brine. The brine
 
bbhaag said:
Either way is fine. It just comes down to whether you want a fresh never frozen turkey or not. Keep in mind it will take longer than a day for a frozen turkey to thaw out.

Forget fresh vs frozen though. If you're cooking it in the oven then you need to Spatchcock that bird! Yeah baby it's the only way to do a turkey in the oven! A few years ago Food and Wine magazine had a great write up on how spatchcock your Thanksgiving turkey so we tried it and it was so freaking good we've done it every year since.
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A roosting bag helps a lot too.
 
Zorba said:
A roosting bag helps a lot too.
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That's the cheap way. You wait til the sun's gone down, and head out to the edge of the woods. You very carefully climb a pine tree so you don't alert them to your presence, then in one quick motion, you drop the roosting bag over their head. Don't loose your grip on the tree when they flap around! Climb down from the tree, go back home, then slaughter and dress the bird. You're ready to go for the next day! Go get some sleep, so you're rested for thanksgiving.
 
Can anybody verify the Great American Turkey shortage??

I prefer fresh but cannot fill my Turkey Tags until April.
 
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