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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

roasting turkey on the stovetop? no way!

I never dreamed it was even possible to roast turkey on the stovetop.

But the ultimate turkey roaster is meant to be used on a propane burner, which is essentially a stove. So why not the stovetop?

Before I go any further, let me say that this was NOT my preferred method of cooking turkey, and I probably won't do it again. But, it is indeed possible.

This should not be done in just any pot; The ultimate turkey roaster is specially designed for turkey.

It has a convection cone in the center, to allow for air circulation.

First I preheated the lid in the oven at 250.

Preheating the lid is absolutely essential, or it will be undercooked; I probably should have preheated it at 350.

I seasoned the turkey by melting a stick of butter in the microwave, then adding sage, seasoned salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and "better than bouillon" chicken base to the melted butter. Then stirred, and poured on the turkey.

Then I heated up the bottom part on the stove, and placed the turkey on the cone. Put the meat thermometer into the side, and then the preheated lid on top.

There's a small opening in the side, so you can have the meat thermometer readily visible, as you can see in the picture.

30 minutes into cooking, I added a 1/2 cup of water to the bottom to prevent scorching, per the instructions. Don't add too much liquid, because the result will be "steamed" turkey instead of roasted*.

*Once I tried it, it still tasted like "steamed" turkey instead of roasted. Dry heat in the oven is really the way to go.

It took about an hour and a half for the thermometer to reach 170.

When I removed the turkey and started carving, I noticed there was a hint of pink, so just to be sure, I put it uncovered in the oven at 300 for about 20 minutes. This helped to crisp the skin a little.

The turkey turned out pretty good, but I can't say that I care for this method of preparation.

I've tried several different methods to see which one I like best, and so far, the oven bag in a large cast iron skillet is in the lead.

Next time I will try "breast side down."




6 comments:

  1. Try the Maca 12x16, It will fit up to a 20lb. turkey, and roast it in 2 hours. I do it every year, some times 2 or 3 times.
    Good luck.
    Ron Clanton
    The outlaw gourmet

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  2. you must use that outdoors? over coals or on a propane stove?

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  3. To me, turket is best left to an oven or barbecure grill. While I've tried turket that's been cooked in an UTR, I don't like the way the bird is steamed. Modern turkey is best roasted in dry heat. I leave the Dutch oven for other applications.

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  4. Honestly, I've tried turkey twice in the UTR and I respectfully disagree with their claim. They say that fried turkey is "good" while turkey in their roaster is "fantastic". It's the other way around.

    The BEST turkey I've ever had was fried although it's incredibly bad for you and a bit of a hassle.

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  5. now if it's cooked in just a regular dutch oven (without the convection cone), without liquid added to the bottom, that might be similar to a regular oven. Although I've not tried it.

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  6. I have been using mine since 2006 with fabulous results. Granted, up until this year, I have been using it in a BBQ pit, but this year, I used it on top of the stove with the same wonderful results (though I missed the woodsy flavor). Don't add much water; let it roast in his own juices.

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