Really stupid question about turkey!

[Fullhouse]

I have never cooked a turkey before. I haven't even eaten it for over 20 years now. But we are cooking turkey on Christmas day for anyone who wants it in the house.

MIL has ordered the bird from M&S and will be collecting it on Friday. The only details we have are that it will feed 6-10 people, but no idea about the weight or size. What I really need to know is what size roasting tin do I need?! The biggest deep tin I have is about 10" by 13". Do I need to find a bigger one?

[Efficient_Edna]

I've never cooked a turkey before either, but judging by some of the chickens I've roasted that will only feed 4, I'd say yes you'll definitely need a bigger one.

Vicki x

[Fullhouse]

Bugger. That means I'll have to go shopping tomorrow and find one.

Edited to say thank you, sorry, I didn't mean to sound so ungrateful!

[Turtle'sMammy]

I have an 11lb turkey and it will fit in a regular roasting pan (about the size of your one). I'd ask MIL if she has a big one (presumably you're feeding her too?). Or you can just get a foil one for a few pence.

[wacky12]

get a foil one - but make sure it will fit in your oven!

[Fullhouse]

I have an 11lb turkey and it will fit in a regular roasting pan (about the size of your one). I'd ask MIL if she has a big one (presumably you're feeding her too?). Or you can just get a foil one for a few pence.

Yes, feeding MIL, but as she's flying here today I don't think she'd want to fill her suitcase with a roasting tin...wonder what customs would think of that?!

get a foil one - but make sure it will fit in your oven!

Good plan. Hmmm, wonder where sells them. Have to take M and the boy with me this morning so hope it's not difficult to find something!

[Woodsies]

This is probably too late but a lot of the M&S turkeys come in a foil tray you can roast it in. I have to say I always take mine out of the foil tray and use a decent roasting tray, but if you didn't have time to find one you may find your turkey comes in one.

[BadgersMommy]

If you use the foil pan, be VERY careful with it -- they're flimsy and tend to bend and slop boiling hot drippings onto your shins. Not that I would know by direct experience or anything...

[ches]

You can use a cookie sheet under a foil pan. Turkey can dry out in the oven so over here the tradition is to "brine" it before baking by soaking overnight in salty, sugary water with black pepper, bay leaf, etc.

[Fullhouse]

Thanks all, if it'd been a foil pan then I would have done the sheet underneath. But I couldn't find a foil one anywhere, so I got a proper one, and it fits in the oven.

[Turtle'sMammy]

I put streaky bacon on the top to stop it drying out. Yum!!

[ceeLIN]

I second the bacon on top, but also cover it with foil for the first half (at least) of the cooking time otherwise the bacon will over cook. Alternatively if you (or rather your MIL!) wants crispy skin on the turkey, forget the foil, use bacon but remove it once crisp, keep warm while the turkey finishes cooking. Good Food is usually good with tips, hang on...

This might help: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/christmas/turkey/

This may also be useful http://britishfood.about.com/od/christmasrecipes/a/roastguide.htm

Or this looks good too http://www.britishturkey.co.uk/cook-turkey/index.shtml

HTH

[PerpetualMadness]

Delia's Christmas has excellent timings.

[Svea]

You can use a cookie sheet under a foil pan. Turkey can dry out in the oven so over here the tradition is to "brine" it before baking by soaking overnight in salty, sugary water with black pepper, bay leaf, etc.

a bit OT, but i always thought the brining odd. then we brined a turkey one year (we dont do turkey often, but did that time) and OMG i will never ever NOT brine a turkey again. too much faff with trying to push butter under the skin, or protect the breast with bacon etc. just brine for 24h and the meat is something else.

i used nigella's brining recipe that time and can deffo recommend.