Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

[scottz]

Hi all,
In a couple of days time I am having a few people around for my birthday and am lighting up the wfo. I was only planning on doing nibble food and some garlic and herb pull-aparts, but a friend of my wife said she was given a 7 kg turkey and has dropped it around for me to cook. The only problem is I have never cooked a whole turkey before and never in a wfo...the closest thing i have done is whole chicken.

The question is, should I slow cook or high heat roast, stuffed or not stuffed, covered or uncovered, ect, ect.

Any help anyone has would be great!

Cheers
Scott

[Laurentius]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

No problem. Wash and dry turkey, inside the cavity place oranges or lemons or onions or garlic, your choice. If it is not a brined turkey, rub the skin with a little salt. (I don't like brined, anything, Too salty) Cover turkey with foil, sealing the turkey. Cook for 2.5 hours, take off foil, brush turkey with olive oil or butter, sprinkle with your favorite herbs and brown. Let turkey rest about 30 minutes before you carve. Enjoy.

Laurentius

[scottz]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

Wow Lauren...u make it sound easy How hot do you have your wfo when u cook it? I was thinking normal roasting heat.

[Laurentius]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

Yes, your normal roasting heat. If your turkey is frozen, its takes about 3 day to thaw in the frig, less time submerged in ice water. Make sure the the juices are clear, no pinkness, you can also use a meat thermometer to insure doneness. Thats an easy method, now if you want my mother's corn bread oyster stuffin recipe now that different.
I've been cooking an American Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixin for the last 18 years, here in Japan.

Laurentius

[brickie in oz]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

Sounds delish....hmmmm

[scottz]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

Howdy,
Well...I did it! A bit worried to start with, but I decided I would treat my almost 8kg turkey just like a big chicken! I got the wfo up and burning to 'pizza hot', then let it cool down for about 40 - 50 mins. The turkey was washed out, stuffed with a sage and onion stuffing mixture, the skin rubbed down with salt, fresh herbs and garlic. Then I found a roasting pan big enough and covered the bottom of the pan with white wine, 4 smashed cloves of garlic and 3 bay leaves. The turkey was sealed and covered with tin foil and in it went at about 7 pm. By 10.30pm we pulled it out and it was really like looking at a american thanksgiving turkey.....looked and smelt really wicked!!! Pictures to come soon.

We also had a 2.5 kg blade roast that we marinated in honey and soy with garlic, wrapped in tin foil and put it in the oven at about 11.45pm. Woke up the next morning at about 7.30am and went out to the oven, pulled out the roast and was very very happy!! The meat sliced up like butter and the dripping we got off the meat made the best sauce! At the party that day, the roast was eaten in about 5 mins by everyone. From now on when we do a pizza party or light the oven....a roast is going in overnight, the best meat we have had!

So anyone wanting to try and cook a very large bird....go ahead, its not that daunting

Cheers
Scott

[Laurentius]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

Hi Scott,

I knew that you could do it. Even your write up sounds like a pro. Next Thanksgiving I'm not cooking, I'm coming to eat with you.

Pompeii in Japan,

Laurentius

[Lburou]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

Bookmarking this thread for future reference

Congrats on going outside the box

[scottz]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

Cheers for everyones help ...really did make a difference. Here are some pics as promised. And if anyone wishes to come here for xmas....no probs, as long as you can deal with having christmas day when the temp is about 40 degrees C!!! But the pool ready and the beer is very cold!!

Cheers
Scott

[kmrice]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

I see you did not remove the fire. Did you roast with the door open or closed?

Karl

[scottz]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

I see you did not remove the fire. Did you roast with the door open or closed?

Hi Karl,
No, I didnt remove the fire...I let it burn down to coals, added a small piece of wood to it about half way through. I left the door off with the turkey, but when I cooked the beef roast overnight, the fire was burned out and I put the door on. I guess if you wanted to slow cook the turkey, you could remove the coals and put the door on. Being my first time I cooked one, I wanted to do it with a small fire. Oh...when the turkey was done, I pulled the tin foil off and put it back in....the fire help to really brown up the skin...turned out to be really crunchie!!

Scott

[kmrice]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

Thanks. Did the fire being on one side cause any problems? Did you turn the bird to equalize this?

Did you get much smoke flavor in the turkey? I've done some chickens, and one turkey, but only after removing the fire and baking some bread. I'm wondering if leaving the fire in would smoke the turnkey some.

Karl

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

I was just searching smoked turkey this morning on FB and found your thread here. I realized you were roasting the turkey for thanksgiving (looked great! btw) however I'm defrosting a turkey right now to smoke it in my wfo this Saturday. I plan on leaving coals in, adding wood chips and roasting on the low temp-long hours with sealed up door methode....we'll see...

I found Bandrasco post on his Smoke Turkey here (post 251):

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/8/bas-dome-let-games-begin-5443-26.html

if anyone is interested on how much wood he put in and left in to 'smoke' it.

Since it will be my first fully smoked bird in the wfo I'll be posting on my thread or here to let you know how it turns out .

cheers, Dino

[scottz]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

Hi Dino,
It wasnt for thanksgiving...dont many people in oz who celebrate it...was for my birthday last weekend (getitng old now ). Smoking the turkey would create wicked flavours...you will have to provide pics and what type of wood chips you used. Will be good to see the outcome!

Karl, I think I turned the turkey twice...maybe every 50 mins or so...also used that time to give it a quick drizzle with its juices. The fire wasnt going off....just a small smolder. I think it did add some smokey flavour to some degree...but nothing like when you throw chips in and shut the door. I think my next one will be smoked...will have to wait and see how Dinos' comes out

Scott

[Laurentius]

Re: Help..cooking a 7.5kg whole turkey for the 1st time!

Hi Dino,

Good luck with your first smoked turkey, bear in mind that a turkey has a delicate flavor, I would suggest a fruit or nut wood for first time, I really like cherry. Try to keep you smoking chips or logs hydrated, don't allow them to burn or the meat will become bitter. You can also smoke with herbs, my family love the flavor of rosemary smoked turkey. Let us know how it turns out.