Gransnet forums

Food

Resting the turkey.

(43 Posts)
annsixty Tue 01-Dec-20 10:49:38

It is several years since I cooked turkey and I will confess I was never really very successful.
I was watching a Christmas cookery programme recently, I think it was Gordon Ramsey and he said you should rest your turkey for as long as you cooked it.
In his case he cooked for two and a half hours and rested for two and a half hours.
Is this the secret or would it be drying out even further?

B9exchange Tue 01-Dec-20 10:54:10

It would be only lukewarm by then! I just rest mine for half an hour (and we usually have a very big one!)

Callistemon Tue 01-Dec-20 10:54:26

I rest it but not for that long, probably long enough to turn up the oven temperature and finish off the roast potatoes ie 20 minutes.
I covered it with tinfoil.
It shouldn't dry out, it should let the juices go through it.

Well, I used to when I did cook one.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 01-Dec-20 11:23:37

I rest mine covered in tin foil for at least an hour, frees up the oven for the roast potatoes, parsnips, stuffing etc.

Ilovecheese Tue 01-Dec-20 11:31:23

I do the same as GrannyGravy13, Turkey is still plenty hot enough.

Charleygirl5 Tue 01-Dec-20 12:22:21

In my turkey cooking days, I never rested a bird for longer than 20 minutes. I have this "thing" about hot food and resting it for over two hours is too long and the bird would have cooled down.

Lucca Tue 01-Dec-20 12:25:47

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I still own a hostess trolley !! It is kept out of site in a very convenient cupboard but The turkey would go in their to rest for about 45 minutes if I were ever to cook one again

Iam64 Tue 01-Dec-20 12:34:04

I cover the turkey in foil to keep it warm. It rests for about an hour during which I roast the spuds, parsnips, stuffing etc. Meanwhile, I either over cook the sprouts, or forget to turn the heat on under their pan. It's a tradition, started by my mother. She excelled and on more than one occasion, burnt not only the sprouts but the pan.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 01-Dec-20 12:45:14

I rest all my roasted meat. It relaxes it and will be more tender.

JackyB Tue 01-Dec-20 13:13:50

I only recently learnt that you have to rest meat after roasting. Why did my Mum never tell me?

I am very interested to see how this thread pans out. Not that I'll be cooking any turkeys in the foreseeable.

Missfoodlove Tue 01-Dec-20 14:32:31

Definitely rest but an hour for a 12lb bird is about right.
It means the bird is more tender and easier to carve.
I cover with foil and then put a clean towel over to keep the heat in.
The resting time is perfect for roasting the potatoes and cooking the veg.

kittylester Tue 01-Dec-20 15:02:10

I always rest neat, covered in foil.

I am a very proud owner of a well used hostess trolley but wouldn't put the turkey in there to rest - that's for everything else - plates, sprouts, stuffing, red cabbage, carrots, parsnips, roast potatoes, nut loaf, bread sauce, pigs in blankets.

kittylester Tue 01-Dec-20 15:03:22

Meat not blinking neat!!

Callistemon Tue 01-Dec-20 15:09:16

Lucca

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I still own a hostess trolley !! It is kept out of site in a very convenient cupboard but The turkey would go in their to rest for about 45 minutes if I were ever to cook one again

Me too!
I rarely use it now but bought it one Christmas when I was cooking for a crowd and used it a lot.
At the moment it's filled with DH's puzzles
I must remember not to turn it on.

Let's Do It by the wonderful Victoria Wood grin

Bluebellwould Tue 01-Dec-20 15:12:47

Resting the turkey, send it to Barbados for a holiday!

Lucca Tue 01-Dec-20 15:12:59

It would not be wise for anybody to bend me over backwards on my hostess trolley ......my back would go! How did she come up with such wonderful lyrics....I’m sitting chucking remembering them.

Rosalyn69 Tue 01-Dec-20 16:22:59

My turkey isn’t tired. It comes out of the oven and we carve and eat.

kittylester Tue 01-Dec-20 17:22:48

Two small granddaughters were playing hide and seek one day and were totally 'unfindable'.

They had got into the hot trolley- one on the top shelf and one on the bottom and managed to pull the doors closed behind themselves. shock

sodapop Tue 01-Dec-20 17:33:04

Meat should be rested for as long as it is cooked according to my husband. It definitely makes a difference, he can always tell if meat has been rested or not. I agree with Missfoodlove cover with foil and a tea towel and leave for an hour.

Iam64 Tue 01-Dec-20 17:49:30

Victoria Wood -Hostess trollies and especially the Women's Weekly.
She was a joy wasn't she. I loved her on childbirth, smear tests and the period when she was the aerobics teacher who worked as a surgeon at the local hospital. I so wish she'd got on to the menopause and old age. I bet she does too.

phoenix Tue 01-Dec-20 18:10:30

In the past when cooking for large numbers, I have been known to cook my turkey on Christmas Eve to save oven space and hassle on Christmas Day.

Providing the plates are hot, and the gravy too (plus everything else, stuffing, pigs in blankets etc) it worked very well.

Callistemon Tue 01-Dec-20 18:35:03

My older DGD used to do her 'cooking' in the hostess trolley with all my plastic boxes, wooden spoons, bowls etc..
She used to cook up a feast!

Lucca Tue 01-Dec-20 19:21:40

Just realised I’m talking rubbish. Turkey does not get put in hostess trolley. All the other gubbins does, bread sauce, stuffing balls, potatoes, veg, bacon olives ( instead of pigs in blankets) etc.

Callistemon Tue 01-Dec-20 21:51:14

Ditto

Coolgran65 Tue 01-Dec-20 23:47:49

I rest all my meat. I also rest the turkey. Under foil and two good thick towels, both folded, over it. It is plenty hot after an hour.
And no one has ever suffered from it being kept warm for that length of time.
It carves beautifully.