Turkey!

[FTVS]

Can I stuff and prep the turkey on Xmas Eve? Will it be okay overnight? i am a bit worried about warm stuffing into a cold turkey and then keeping it in the fridge or whatever.

[archbishop]

Let the stuffing cool before putting into Turkey neck.

[Jenny Tools]

Never stuff the bird the night before cooking. Air needs to circulate inside the cavity. Even in the fridge, stuffing inside a bird may never get fully cold, so bacteria could begin to develop.

[FTVS]

Jenny Tools what are your views about using cold stuffing?

[Jenny Tools]

I would not use cold stuffing as this can throw the cooking time out and may not cook properly at all, best to have bird and stuffing at room temp and only loosely pack neck end as archbish correctly states.     

[FTVS]

thanks for your answers guys - looks like it is go in to be an early rise for me again!  

[Jenny Tools]

You could always cook overnight. Place bird upside down on rack in a tray (this way the juices run into breast & keep it moist) cover with tin foil and place in oven last thing at night. Do not stuff bird, cook stuffing later and cook on a low heat ie gas mark 2-3 till morning. Remove and check cooked properly, turn over bird and cook for 20-30 mins uncovered to brown. Remove from oven and wrap in foil to keep warm (will stay hot for ages, wrapped)     

[Jenny Tools]

Forgot to add, when you place bird back into oven to brown, turn up heat to at least gas mark 6 to raise temp inside bird to kill off any bacteria.     

[smudge]

We used to 'stuff the turkey', but haven't done that for years. These days we buy a large turkey crown & always make our own stuffing balls to go with it. It's less hassle, there's minimal waste & the stuffing balls are cooked to perfection. Happy Christmas. 

[molly malone]

I cook and carve my turkey on Christmas eve, then cover with some gravy to keep it moist. I remove the stuffing and wrap it in tin foil, the next day it all goes in the oven until hot. Whatever is left over goes in a curry, I have been doing it this way for 20 years and no problems.

[Cetti]

Well FTVS, my Mum always stuffed and prepared the beast  on Christmas Eve for about 45 years, and I honestly thought everybody did this.

The difference being we don't use sausagemeat, or any hot stuffing, but clean and dry the bird carefully, shove a lemon, onion and herbs inside the cavity (nothing else) - and place a herb stuffing (sage, thyme, parsley, 10 slices of day old bread, lemon rind, salt pepper -  all whizzed up) in a separate buttered dish.

Butter the bird, place in a tent of foil in  roasting tin - and put in fridge overnight if you feel happier - but we just leave it in a cool room.

 

Turkey breast this year as well, smudge - no work!

[D.G.W.T.H.]

thats necrobeastiality ya big fat pervie!