A surefire secret to a golden turkey skin

[Stinky The Clown]

Maple syrup.

Brush the bird with a thin, even coating of it before cooking. It will caramelize and brown like magic.

It isn't much on seasoning, however. The bird gets almost no maple flavor and no real sweetness. I say this to let you know that if you do this, you still need to season the bird as you normally would.

[yellerpup]

1. Must have looked gaw-juss.

Bet it tasted good, too! :hi:

[Lucinda]

2. Hmmm...I've never tried it with maple!

Thankie for the tip!

[Denninmi]

3. Thanks.

Since it was just immediate family this year, the out of towners having to work (medical field, it happens a lot), I didn't care how "perfect" it looked, frankly, we ate in the living room around the TV watching the Detroit Lions lose as usual (Wouldn't be Thanskgiving in Detroit without THAT happening!)

But, IF I had wanted that PERFECT bird, I'd just whip out the old propane torch and give it a nice going over.

But, the maple syrup tip is a good one. Thanks. I'll remember that -- it would work very well WITH the propane torch. And, I have OODLES of maple syrup -- I made 22 quarts of it in 2009 and 4 last spring from the maple trees in my yard. An INSANE amount of work, but SO worth it.

[tigereye]

4. huh, interesting.

I just rub it with vegetable oil and then sage and thyme and then I baste with chicken broth throughout.

Seems to work, although it could have been a little less dark, I suppose.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. my bird was not pretty, but it was the prettiest I've ever tasted

I dry-brined it for 3 days (2 would have been enough, I think) stuffed quartered oranges and lemons inside, put it in a cooking bag, and cooked it upside down. 22lbs in 3hrs 45min. It was falling off the bone (just the wings) juicy and flavorful, even the breast meat.
I can save the maple syrup for my pancakes. :)