Reply #2: Boneless?

[No Elephants]

That store has some nerve! I can order a fresh (never frozen) bird at the supermarkets in my area, even the ones that are not Whole Foods-ish.

Okay, here's my turkey cooking story.


When I made my first turkey, I was a newlywed. Being me I read up on it. (I even do a lot research just to go on vacation.) I learned that the two most common pitfalls were are turkey and leaving the innards bag inside the turkey. No problem forgetting the innards because I was making giblet gravy from a James Beard recipe.

So, then, I read up on how to have the juiciest turkey. Problem is, the drumsticks take longer to cook through than the breast does. So, while the legs are cooking, the breast--the only part of the turkey my husband would eat--is drying out.

I followed all the tips. I basted faithfully. I also started the turkey breast side down, flipping it over midway through roasting. This was not at all easy as the turkey was huge and very hot and wet from pan juices and basting; and I did not have those huge turners. I got a few burns and splashes, but I managed somehow.

Then, I carefully tented the breast, remembering to remove the tent in time for all the skin to brown and crisp beautifully.

The finished bird looked gorgeous, but had I succeeded in avoiding the curse of dry turkey breast?

After his first mouthful of turkey breast, my husband asked, "Next time, could you make the turkey dry, like your mother and sister make it?"

:banghead:

On the bright side, never again having to worry about the turkey drying made my life easier every Thanksgiving thereafter.