Anyone else doing the Phil Vickery turkey method?

Well ladies, good luck with your turkeys. We are having a goose this year. Easy peasy!

Many thanks shysal I really appreciate you taking the time to respond!

Too late for baking parchment, but at least I will be able to use some of the bacon that I had bought ready to do the Delia!

I hope that you are able to get some help to deal with that heavy bird, perhaps DD could come and help with the stages that involve removing from the oven to check, baste etc.

Here is the video. I notice this year he adds a sheet of baking parchment under the foil instead of oiling it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdPJaMTsrmo

Thank you shysal for making it easier to understand .
I am going to do this method with my small turkey crown.
Sorry to hear you are incapacitated this year, I hope your hand and wrist soon get better.

Hi Phoenix. I will answer your questions to the best of my ability having done this method for several years.

I use any veg I have, often only onions and carrots. Obviously wouldn't use greens or potatoes.

I cover breast with bacon from the start and remove it before the browning stage, then brush on lots of melted butter.

If you oil the foil it won't stick. Phil boils the bird, veg and liquid on the stove top before covering and sealing with double layer of foil. Then after covering it is VERY IMPORTANT to boil for 5 minutes before putting in oven.

The linked recipe is rather difficult to follow, doesn't make complete sense, but it does at least show all the weights with their timings. I will look for the video and post it.

Good luck if you try this!

I have a very swollen hand and wrist which will not bear any weight so I shall struggle with the turkey this year. I am cooking it here and taking it to DD's nearby. She may have to come and collect it!

Hello all,

I usually do the Delia method, but am very tempted to give this a try.

A couple of questions though, we haven't got any celery (Mr P hates it) or a leek. We do have carrots and onions.

Do you think the lack of those veg will matter? My gut feeling is that the liquid is the main thing, but would appreciate advice!

Also some pointers with regard to the foil, the Delia one involves smothering bird in butter (not that I can ever get it to stick) and streaky bacon, then the foil tent.

Do you get this lot simmering, then cover in foil, simmer a bit more and then bung in oven?

Sounds brilliant! Will be at dd's and she has an induction hob though - he does say it may well work so will try the roasting tray on Chr. Eve with some water.

Yes Shysal I have used this method since first seeing it on TV a few years ago.
Also works for chicken

My method too Luckygirl have been doing it this way for years. Youre quite right it never becomes dry.
I’ve been watching the Fanny Craddock Christmas cookery series on iplayer, worth a look just to see how these‘programmes have changed over the last forty years.
Not a gadget in sight.

I always make a foil tent that is loose around the bird, rather than actually touching it. I then blast it for about 45 mins at a high heat; then turn down to 100 and leave it in there for ages - all day of you like as it steams and roasts at the same time, so does not dry out.

I do the same with chicken.

My hob is induction so simmering on the stove top is a non starter. Sounds interesting though!

Ah,but what side is the inside of the foil? I read somewhere that the shiniest side should be the inside as it doesn't then reflect the heat.
All these years of misuse!

On one version he suggested oiling the inside of the foil in case it sticks, but it didn't for me. I hope you have good results Hipsy.

Thanks for the link shysal Will try this with a crown.
I like the look of the two suggested meat free stuffings at the end of the recipe.Think I,ll try the cranberry one.