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Hello USA!

Here in Sweden we have no tradition of eating turkey at any weekday or feast.
We dont have Thankgiving day here in Sweden.
The food shops are beginning to advertise and market turkey.
Me and my famely are thinking about to purshase a turkey.
Will the turkey be roasted whole,or will it be cut up in pieces
before roasting?
Can anyone give me advise to cooking and roasting the turkey.
For Christmas we are eating boiled and roasted ham,that are an very strong tradition here in Sweden.
For the new year feast we dont have so strong eating tradition,
so the New year feast we can beginn to eat turkey.(Perhaps)
Many people here in Sweden are eating lobster for the Happy new year feast, but the lobster are exterminate.(Killing off)

Happy new Year.
Bengt From Sweden.

Bengt:

Most people in the States bake their turkeys. I’m not sure how your turkeys come to you from the butcher. Here we can buy them fresh or frozen, ready to prepare.

We prepare a dressing, or stuffing, to put inside the turkey. There are many variations. You can find one you like on a web search of recipes.

I rinse my turkey with water, pat it dry, and insert the dressing inside the turkey cavity. I rub the exterior with butter. I then put salt and pepper all over it. Put it in a deep roasting pan, cover it with foil and bake it. We usually cook a 10 Kg -11.5 Kg (20-25 lb.) turkey. I put it in the oven around 12:00 midnight at 93C (200 degrees F) temperature and let it cook slowly during the whole night. Approximately 6 hours before I plan to serve it, I turn the temperature up to 162C (325 degrees F). One hour before serving, I increase the temperature to 176C (350 degrees F), and remove the foil so the turkey can brown. Use the drippings for gravy, and you should be very happy.

If you do not understand any of my words, please ask me and I will try to explain more.

Happy New Year! Maybe you can start this new tradition in Sweden.

We tried to deep fry a turkey yesterday with kit my son gave me as a gift. The lesson I learned and hope to share is have a back up plan for a meal when trying things for the first time........ After the swearing we ate ham sandwichs
Merry Christmas
John

One reason turkey is a tradition in the USA is because of the 1st Thanksgiving day back in the days of the American Colonys, The white guys were having a hard time adapting to America, and the Native Americans , as the story goes, fixed up a feast of wild game , venison, turkey etc. The coloniests gave thanks to God for the kindness of the Indians, and for what God had provided. Or so the story goes. The turkey is a native bird of N. America.
Many of us roast or bake a whole turkey, others will deep fry or smoke a whole turkey. I smoked one this year in a Brinkman Electric Smoker. I added two cooking wines and some spices to the water pan. The smoker is a all enclosed verticle one, 1500 watt electric burner on bottom with wood chips in a metal pan sitting on the burner, then a pan with a little water, wine and spices, then the turkey sitting on a grill and the top closed with a metal lid. The smoke and moisture flow up and over the turkey, condense on the lid, drip back down over the turkey and return to the pan. After 5 or 6 hours the turkey is nice and done with a nice smoke and spice flavor. We give thanks for what God has provided, Give thanks and celebrate the birth of Christ (since Christmas is a Christian holiday) and then EAT!
I haven't ever got up the nerve to try deep frying one, but it seems that it could be a good way to burn down your garage or yourself if you don't do it right!

There are almost as many ways to prepare turkey as there are turkeys, and it seems everyone who has found a way that works well enough will promote their way as the "only right way", which of course is silly. Getting the inside done without burning the outside or drying out the meat is the goal, how you get there is a journey with many paths that lead to success.

Here is a link to a turkey marketer's web site with many suggestions and methods to offer:

http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/thanks.html

They have tips on deep frying too, which my church's youth group does with excellent results at Thanksgiving every year out in the parking lot well away from any structures. I've never deep fried a turkey myself, but having some experience with fryers, I think the trick is to make sure the bird is well thawed and VERY DRY, no ice crystals or excess water inside or outside.

Happy New Year, and enjoy your new meal experience!

-Pat.

What ever way you choose to cook the Turkey do your research, prepare well ahead, plan your time accordingly and have fun cooking the turkey.

I prefer the deep fry method. With that you have to plan plenty ahead for proper seasoning. Deep frying a Turkey is an event all to it's self.

I'm just glad Ben Franklin did not convince the founders of our country to have the Turkey as our National Bird. If he would have we probably would not be having this conversation!!!

Good Luck with what ever Tradition you start!!!!

Bengt,
Like posted by others there are many options on cooking turkeys. I have had a lot of success with baking in a pan with rack to hold the bird above the bottom of the pan, covering with aluminum foil and baking 15-20 min. per pound at 325 deg. F. We put a bread dressing inside that has cubed bread mixed with sauteed celery, onions and poultry seasoning heated until the celery is clear. Other vegetables can also be added. Before stuffing add the contents of several eggs to keep it together after cooked. Never put anything on the turkey but cover the entire time cooking with foil. Also bake breast down, the opposite of all instructions. The turkey comes out moist and tender. Nearly falls apart if cooked enough. Use the drippings in the bottom of the pan mixed with water and flour to make gravy. MMMMMMM Just had some left over bird for dinner.

Thanks for a good answer!
We have purchased a turkey and we will roasted the turkey in our oven.
We are reading PATS link and all tips from you.
The turkey are 6-7 pound(3-4 kg)and frozen.
EGW you are a good writer, I understand all of the word except
RUB but i took it in a lexicon.
We will have a good New Year meal.
Thanks all of You.
Bengt From Sweden

We have the same tradition in Canada.If cooked right you are about to have one of the best meals ever.Good luck and enjoy

rub: Like I would like someone to "rub" my sore back with some lotion. Except you rub the outside of the turkey with some butter!

Where the heck do you find a turkey that only weighs 6-7 lbs? I thought they came out of the egg weighing more than that.

Good luck with your bird, Bengt. One more thing to note - your turkey is on the small side (here in the states they're raised on farms to be 9-10 kilos or more). It's probably not going to take very long to cook, so check it often after the cooking time is about halfway, to make sure it doesn't dry out or over cook.

15-20 minutes per lb should do it at about 325-350* F.

Go here Bengt for video .........> Turkey cooking <

Click on the pictures on the left of the link to watch each video.

Small turkeys are quite usual this side of the pond especially with the return to more natural farming methods.

I have install the turkey link to my favorites so we can read
the receipt next time we wont to eat turkey.
The first of January 2007 we have to eat turkey.
Our two doters and families are coming and four grandchildren.

Bengt From Sweden

I hope all your family enjoy your first turkey Bengt.
Here in England Lady Kipper & I still enjoy the traditional goose & hams.

Best Wishes to all for the coming year.

Here in Sweden many people have a tradition to eat goose at 10 of
November. (The Marten goose afternoon). It is the Marten goose day here in Sweden the 11 of November.
In the south of Sweden the tradition are strong,but in west of Sweden we dont eat goose.The goose are too fat.
I think turkey are a new good tradition for the New Year.
Bengt From Sweden

In the Southern part of the USA we always eat some "Black eyed peas" on New Years Day for good luck during the year. We are going to have some baked ham, black eyed peas, candied yams, and cornbread at MrMack's house.

Happy New Year!
I will be praying for peace , liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all mankind.......
(also for a good grammar & spellin book on DVD with lessons, batteries encluded of course.)
It will look impressive over on my trophy shelf!

Getting worried here gents!
January 2nd & we've not heard from Bengt!

We had a big family dinner the first day of 2007.
And we eat whole baked turkey like Pats idea.
My wife is a good cook
All of as like it, so there will be a new year tradition.
Thank for all helps.
Bengt From Sweden.

Looks like I'm late to the Holiday feast, but I'll add a thought about the 'best' way to cook a turkey. I've had mixed results when frying a turkey. This must be done outside for safety, but in colder climates the cold weather can cause the oil temperature to drop during cooking. Raw turkey is not a pretty sight at the dinner table.
My personal favorite way to roast a turkey is on my Weber grill using charcoal. The indirect cooking method takes about the same length of time as cooking in an oven. Put an aluminum pan under the bird to catch the drippings and add new charcoal about once an hour. A few pieces of hickory or apple wood added to the coals gives a beautiful smokey flavor that can't be beat. The only drawback to this method is that the bird cannot be stuffed and there's no pan drippings suitable for gravy. But the bird is so moist and flavorful you don't want gravy to smother the flavor!

Coachill, you can simmer the giblets for a couple of hours and take all the meat from the giblets and use the water for a good gravy, mix 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup cornstarch togeather and add slowly to the boiling giblets until thick. salt and pepper to taste. I agree with you about BBQ turkey. I will never cook another one in the oven, Thanks...Oscar

Add a small can of store bought turkey or chicken broth to the giblets after they are cooked and cut up for the gravy then simer down to the gravy stock then add the thicking agent and cook until as thick as you want the gravy, I like mine about thick as 140 wt. gear lube, so it don't all run off the smashed potatoes, and dressing!
The trouble with smoking a turkey in the Brinkman electric smoker, this year, was that the family ate it all up at dinner and there was no leftovers...except just enough for a small sandwich.
Like Little Richard says:
"MMMMM....mashed potatoes and gravy!"

The first bird my wife and I ever cooked after we were married was a 30 lb. monster that was given out by my company. We used a Reynolds (of alum foil fame) cooking bag, and it took less than 3 hours to cook in the oven. It was the best turkey I ever had. It speeds cooking time and helps retain the juices in the bird. Just another trick to try out next time.

I've enjoyed this thread of all you wizened,, grease stained, old, Chevy fixers in your pink aprons discussing the merits of turkey cooking!

GREAT!