Directions: |
Directions:The origin of cooking the turkey overnight stems from the many houses we lived in as Clare and I were growing up. Most contained a single oven, and trying to cook a turkey and all of our favorite sides the day of proves almost impossible.
Mom developed this overnight method to prepare the bird and have room in the oven the next day. It can result in a dry turkey, so be careful with the temperature and the wrapping to avoid drying out. Our family does tend to like turkey a little more well done than most (until it falls off the bone!) but in order to be safe, the thickest part of the turkey need to be 165º. Go too much further and it can be a dry bird. So, smaller bird, lower temperature, shorter time.
This method will not result in the picture perfect bird, but for the size of our crowd, works just fine. Granny will try and buy the 25 pound birds, and those dry out almost every time before they finish cooking. And few of us can forget the emergency room visit involving the enormous turkey and the gallon of scalding broth that splashed on Granny's feet.....
If you can, splurge on a fresh turkey. The quality of the meat is better and you don't have to defrost. If frozen, keep in mind it may take up to 4 days to defrost, so pull it out of the freezer in time to defrost in a bowl in the refrigerator in time. If you forget, you can put the thing in your sink and run cold water over it and through the middle of it for several hours.
Mom likes to thoroughly wash the bird, which experts now tell us is more dangerous. If you do this, thoroughly disinfect your sink and surrounding area before you start. As well, use bleach and disinfect afterwards to avoid death. And for the non-cooks in the family, at no time should soap touch the actual bird.
Pull out your roasting pan and have ready. (If you are using a disposable pan, try and get the one with handles or support underneath with a sheet pan - these get heavy when hot!) Chop 5 stalks of celery in 3-4 inch pieces and chop whole onions in eighths, keeping the root intact if possible. Chop butter in thick slices.
Put a large stainless bowl in your sink and unwrap the bird. Look inside and remove the gizzard bag and the neck (save pan gravy for later). These may be in the inside cavity or up the bum of the bird.
Lift the bird into the stainless bowl and start running cool water over it. Inspect the inside and remove any big clumps of fat. Mom like to cut the "butt" off the bird and discard. Examine the bird carefully and remove any remain feathers. (May need needle nose pliers). Rinse entire bird and try and keep skin intact. Pour off all water (and cuss because the bird starts sloshing around getting everything wet and trying to jump on the floor.)
Using paper towels, dry the skin of the bird on the outside as much as possible. Put in roasting pan breast side up and dry thoroughly inside and out.
In the cavity of the bird, put some onions, celery and butter and a lot of salt and pepper to flavor while cooking. I like to put in a small bowl ahead of time and throughly season with salt and pepper before putting in bird. Trying to keep the skin intact, insert your fingers and lift away the meat and shove some onions and butter under the skin.
Fold the wings back under the bird if possible. If needed, can tie the legs together but we usually just go with god. Dry the bird again and with clean hands rub thoroughly with vegetable oil covering all the skin. Generously season with salt and pepper. Wash the neck and gizzards and put in the bottom of the pan along with any extra vegetables for gravy.
Tent the foil so it is not touching the bird and cinch tightly around the pan. You are trying not to let any steam escape. Put in a low (190º - 200º) oven at 11:00 pm (or later!). The next morning, the house will smell delicious and everyone will offer to help "test" the bird. If you have a very small bird (under 13 pds), may want to go as low as 170º to cook overnight, and set alarm to only cook 4-5 hours.
Immediately after you wake up, take the bird out carefully! and check the temperature. It must be at least 165º to not kill you. The bird will continue to cook once removed, so if it only reaches 160º, it will be fine for dinner. If higher than that, very likely will be a dry bird. And that's okay, it's authentic! and gravy cures a lot of sins....
Since it may be a few hours before dinner, it is okay to leave the bird sitting out to cool while you cook the rest. Carefully remove all of the juices to a pan to start separating, and set aside the gizzards, the neck, and some celery and onions to cool.
An hour before serving, put the turkey back in the oven at 450º to gain that beautiful brown finish. Let sit 20 minutes before serving. |
This recipe for JOYCE'S OVERNIGHT TURKEY is from