Turkey Basting Tips for the Holidays
While many traditional camps maintain basting as an essential element to produce a juicy and tender holiday bird, most new agers tout it as a waste of time and precious oven heat. The theory behind this is that repeatedly opening the oven door allows heat to escape, thereby extending the roasting time of the bird. That may be true, depending on your oven and how quickly it recovers heat lost. No doubt, cooking time is at least minimally effected. Furthermore, most cooks agree that liquids, fats or drippings poured over the turkey are not absorbed through the flesh, therefore, are of no value to maintaining the juiciness of the bird. True enough that the juices are not “absorbed”, however, the added moisture may reduce the loss of fats and juices in the bird, helping to maintain what it already has.
Much of the disdain towards basting turkey stems from the many commercially prepared birds that are already ‘basted’ or ‘brined’. These birds are soaked or injected with a salt solution, effectually making them ‘self basting’ and don’t really need the extra attention. If your turkey label says something like ‘pre-basted’, ‘self-basting’ or ‘contains x% solution…’, the turkey doesn’t have to be basted.
There are still many cooks out there who refuse to give up the practice, whether for the sake of nostalgia or because of a hard held belief in basting’s benefits. Whatever your stance, nearly all cooks agree that basting adds flavor to the skin of the bird and has an effect on the overall appearance and softness of the skin.
Whether you choose to actually baste the bird during cooking or not, here are a few ways, old and new, to cook and baste a Thanksgiving turkey. Most hard-lining basting opponents will agree that even starting your turkey by basting it before roasting is beneficial for the additional moisture and flavor. Close the turkey up tight, in a roaster or a bag, and it will virtually baste itself. As for me, I’m opening up that oven at least a few times…
Basic turkey basting starts by brushing the bird with oil, or spreading it with softened or melted butter. To this, apply rubs or generously shake on herbs and spices. As the bird cooks, periodically baste with a brush or bulb baster by sucking up the turkey drippings from the bottom of the pan and drizzling the juices over the top. Basting this way helps to flavor the skin of the turkey and helps the skin to brown.
Turkey stock, bullion or broth solution prepared in a saucepan on the stove top are good basting bases as well. Add your favorite herbs and spices (sage, marjoram and thyme are some popular favorites), brush or drizzle over the top. Baste the turkey with the solution and/or pan drippings throughout roasting.
There are as many recipes for basting sauces as there are opinions about it (vastly more, most likely). Recipes for basting bases range from simply brushing with butter to quite complex gourmet affairs. Here are a few other ingredients found in random recipes on the ‘net: orange juice, lemon juice, maple syrup, clarified butter, even an amaretto and butter glaze. Some sites recommend a primary mixture to begin with, and a second sauce to finish the turkey.
An old trick that works well especially with game birds or birds with little fat is to wrap the top of the turkey with bacon prior to roasting. Any desirable herbs and spices can be rubbed onto the bird first, then wrap and roast. As the bacon fat cooks away, it will drip down the turkey, basting itself and rending fabulous taste to both the bird and the pan drippings. Once the bacon has cooked, you can baste as usual to keep the bacon moist. Your turkey and gravy will both benefit from the smoky bacon flavor.
Another alternative to basting turkey is injecting the turkey with a solution of stock, broth herbs and spices before it is cooked. Injecting the bird flavors the interior meat as well, for juiciness and great flavor. Injectors are sold with kitchen gadgets. Essentially, the outcome is the same as with cooking a self basting turkey.
For a softer skin when the turkey is done, continue basting throughout. If a crispy skin is what you prefer, basting should be stopped about an hour before the turkey is finished roasting, or the skin will not dry out enough.
Roasting bags have grown in popularity as well. Not only is your turkey roasted and forgotten, but roasting bags can significantly decrease roasting time, too.
Another thing the experts agree on is letting the turkey sit for half an hour out of the oven before carving. This allows the juices in the bird to evenly distribute and be reabsorbed into the meat of the turkey. Waiting before carving also makes it easier to cut the turkey. Plan to add half an hour to your preparation time for the best outcome.
To baste or not to baste…well, that’s up to you, but either way, have a safe and wonderful holiday season!
