Could it be possible? Can someone actually roast a turkey quickly?
Wouldn't it be wonderful to not have to get up at 6 am to start the bird that would be carved to feed guests for a 2 pm dinner? Could you actually roast a turkey in half the time? Would it be just as good? I just had to find out.
I first started on this quest about 5 years ago. After many failed attempts I came across the perfect method. The answer is YES!
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Not only could I roast the bird in less than half the time, but the white meat was Moist, not dry and tasteless like in most of the birds I have sampled. Amazing. I had found the holy grail of holiday meals.
- So what is the secret? First, you'll need a few kitchen items
- An accurate meat thermometer
- Metal (not glass) roasting pan- an aluminum foil pan works too
- *****Here's the Recipe Set the oven to 500 degrees (this isn't a typo). This browns the skin to a nice Golden brown and seals in the juices.
Once the oven has heated up-place the bird in the middle of the oven, breast side up. Don't cover the bird. Also don't add herbs or spices as they will disintegrate! Roast for 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 450 degrees. Roast the Bird for the rest of the time at this temperature. How long will it take?
The total roast time will be just under 50% of what it normally takes. I did a 22 lb. turkey last week for my office thanksgiving dinner using this recipe.
Normally, it takes 6 hours of total cooking time. A ‘22 lber' was done in less than 3 hours. It was actually 2 hours, 45 minutes! You'll find that in using this method your bird will have surprisingly moist, flavorful white meat as well as perfectly cooked dark meat.
Be sure to use the meat thermometer in the last ½ hour of cooking time. Push it into the thigh, being careful to not touch a bone, as that would give an incorrect reading. Ignore the ‘pop up' timer as it is inaccurate at this temperature.
It should read about 185 degrees. Or cut into the thigh, if the juices run Clear then it's done. What about stuffing? It's best to cook the stuffing separately in a casserole dish.
What about gravy? If you want to make gravy, simply add ½-1 cup of water to the roasting pan while the bird is cooking. DO NOT add water to a hot glass pan Unless the water is also hot. (You really don't want to crack a glass pan with cool water!) For No Lumps- just stir the thickener (flour and cold water) in a small dish, until it's 'lump free' then pour that into the turkey juices and continue to stir while it cooks a bit. Need even More Gravy? Add 1/2 can of chicken broth or stretch it with a jar of turkey gravy.
**Didn't believe me and you overcooked the bird? Save it by slicing it soon, since it continues to cook even after it's taken out of the oven. Pour a little warm chicken broth over the meat. That would help to make it more moist)
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