How do you prep a turkey when you're not stuffing it?

Answer 1

The best way to prepare a turkey for baking is to first of all, remove all the giblets, including the neck. Many a new cook has cooked their first turkey with the giblets inside and that really fouls the bird. Then, brine it. To brine a turkey, you need a large enough pot to hold the bird so it can be completely covered in your brining solution. If you don't have a large enough pot, you can use a large plastic bag (double seal once you get your turkey and brine in) or even a ice chest. The turkey must remain submerged and cold, so the large pot must also be able to sit in the refrigerator or pack a cooler with ice and keep it there. The brining liquid is generally a mixture of water, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup kosher salt and any herbs you might want to add. Mix it well making certain that all the ingredients are dissolved, then place the turkey in, breast side down and fill until covered with cold water. Proceed to keep it cold and submerged for at least one day. I find it best to remove the turkey from the brine at least a day before you want to cook it; rinse it and dry it well with paper towels, inside and out. Then sit it in it's roasting pan in the refrigerator until it's time to cook it, this allows the skin to dry a bit allowing for a nice brown skin.

Another good suggestion is to rub olive oil and spices beneath the skin for an extra juicy meat, this will also enhance the flavor if you use herbs.

Answer 2

Firstly make sure you remove the giblets then wash the bird thoroughly in cold running waters, pat dry. Then I would loosen the skin slightly over the breast and insert plenty of seasoned butter. before applying knobs of butter around the leg and wing joints and a little more over the breast skin. I would then wrap in muslin or cheesecloth prior to cooking.

Hope this helps