Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

[sarah h]

Hi all - it's been a while ... not sure if I still even know anyone here any more!!

Haven't used the oven near as much as I'd like to but we've been improving on that in recent months, despite never-ending wet weather.

Anyway, this is Canadian Thanksgiving weekend and we decided it was about time we did a WFO turkey and ... WOW!!! It was amazing!!!

We put the brined and stuffed 9 kg (20 lbs) bird into a fully fired, then cooled, oven at 1:40 PM. The oven was in the low 500's (F) at that point.

Around 5:30, we pulled out a perfectly cooked, moist & delicious bird.

Served it up with:
mashed potatoes
gravy
stuffing
brussels sprouts with bacon, Canadian whisky and maple syrup
butternut squash (more maple syrup)
cranberry sauce
spiced crabapples (which are fantastic with poultry!)

I then did myself in with cran-apple pie - the pumpkin one's on hold till tomorrow. Didn't do the pies in the oven, as we'd wanted to get them done ahead of time, but hope to give it a try sometime soon.

Cheers!
Sarah

[forno di Lucca]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

great post....i was just telling my wife to make all the nescessary arrangements as we are gonna do thanksgiving in the WFO next year...can't wait

[brokencookie]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

Hi all - it's been a while ... not sure if I still even know anyone here any more!!

Sarah

We're still here Sarah, just napping in our rocking chairs and living vicariously through you. Great menu.

Since I'm in Washington I might just have to celebrate both Canadian and US Thanksgivings HMMMMM

[kebwi]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

May I assume you removed all the coals from the oven?

[Fish Wheels]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

May I assume you removed all the coals from the oven?

I use lump coal not briquettes, this photo was from a previous bake but our Thanksgiving turkey turned out as well. This is a Coal Fired Oven. I like this oven but I don't have the advantage of retained heat for more then a few hours unlike the great retained heat in a WFO.

[kebwi]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

I use lump coal not briquettes, this photo was from a previous bake but our Thanksgiving turkey turned out as well. This is a Coal Fired Oven. I like this oven but I don't have the advantage of retained heat for more then a few hours unlike the great retained heat in a WFO.

I was asking the original poster, sorry for the confusion.

Cheers!

[sarah h]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

May I assume you removed all the coals from the oven?

I forgot to mention that part but, yes, the coals came out before the bird went in. I'd have liked smoked turkey but I've read too many posts here about nasty flavours if you leave the coals in and then add the door to retain heat! Maybe sometime I'll try an active fire and no door during cooking?

Sarah

[sarah h]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

We're still here Sarah ...

Hi Bruce, glad to see a 'familiar face'! I think you guys in the Northen U.S. would be well served to adopt the Canadian Thanksgiving date anyway - better weather and prettier landscape in October.

Forno di Lucca, looks like you're about to get started on your oven - good luck!

[dusty]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

Hi Sarah,
I still stop by from time to time to see what's going on. It's fun to run into someone I know once in a while.
I plan on cooking most of the thanksgiving dinner in our WFO this year and checked in to see what everyone else was doing. My new receipe calls for a hot oven (@550) and a small roasting fire going on while the bird cooks...no door. It requires alot of turning and temp measuring. I think (not sure) I will try it. Hate to experiment on THE day, but I think I can pull it off. I am more familiar with the method you used, and yours looked fantastic. Hard to imagine trying something new, but I am curios about the "smoke" flavor. I normally do the pies in there also, but I haven't ever used this ultra high heat method.
Great to see you here again - wish me luck!

dusty

[sarah h]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

Hey Dusty - nice to hear from you!
As I write this, I'm betting that bird is either in the oven or on the table. Bet it turned out just fine. Let us know! (And Happy Thanksgiving!)

Sarah

[dusty]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

Hey Sarah, and all,
And, again, nice to hear from you to.

The bird did turn out fine indeed. The original recipe came from Andrea Mugaini's book (sorry James...it was a gift) "The Art of Wood Fired Cooking". I diviated from her receipe, but used the high heat - small fire going with no door - method for the first couple hours. I then let the fire burn down to coals and added a handful of wood chips and shut the door. I didn't season it per her receipe. Instead I soaked it in brine for @24 hours. The bird was very moist and the smoke flavor was delicious. Took about four hours total.

Learned, however, to never make gravey from the drippings of a brined bird - WAY to salty. Other than that the dinner was superb. All our boys, their girls, and my wifes folks were there. Mighty fine holiday.

dusty

[sarah h]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

Dusty, I'm glad to hear it worked out so well! I think I'll have to give that high heat method a try, including the wood chips - I love wood-smoked poultry!

Sarah

[Mrprosciutto]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

I did ours in the oven this year - kept a small fire off to the side and put un seasoned applewood on the coals to smolder. The outside of the bird was basted with olive oil, roasted garlic and fresh herbs. Took about 2.5 hours at somewhere around 375 (it fluctuated a bit)..

[dusty]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving WFO Turkey

Nice! That looks tasty.

dusty