Roasting a turkey using cheese cloth covering...Anyone?

[karensi]

Hi,
my friend told me that she saw on some cooking show that you can cover your turkey with dampened cheese cloth instead of tin foil when you roast it. I would like to try this as the tin foil always seems so flimsey and is difficult to put back in place when you take the turkey out to baste it.
Just wondering, has anyone ever done this?
Would you baste the turkey with the cheese cloth in place or would you remove it, baste turkey, then replace the cheese cloth?

Thanks,
Karen

 

[Nolcrest]

One of my co-worker's makes the cheesecloth turkey recipe of Martha Stewart and raves about it. She says it is very easy as she's not the best cook. Next year I'm going to try this method myself. Hope this helps and No, you don't remove the cheesecloth to baste.

http://www.marthastewart.com/353184/perfect-roast-turkey

 

[karensi]

Thanks so much Nolcrest, that was so nice of you to find and post that recipe for me.
I think I will try doing that this year. Like your co worker, I too am not the best of cooks.

Karen

 

[Sandy321]

I tried it one year after watching a cooking show -

the darn thing stuck! it was such a mess!

I learned, and love Butterball turkey line!
http://www.butterball.com/contact-us

I read so much about brining a turkey, we brined one year, only to find out most turkeys are "pre brined" (read the fine print, if it has a 3-5% solution added, its pre-brined!)

the butterball turkey line has been doing this for years, and has great suggestions, recipes.. etc

good luck!

 

[karensi]

Hmmm, also very helpful.
Thank you Sandy.

Karen

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have roasted many chickens and turkeys and can't see the point of a cheesecloth. I would think it would be a pain.

The foil is so the breast does not get over done and I never baste.

Have you ever used a cooking bag? I would tell you to use that instead.

 

[Gigi22]

I just located a Julia Child recipe for Dinde rotie au four (Roast Turkey) that describes how to use cheesecloth. The recipe is in From Julia Child's Kitchen. You prepare and truss the turkey. Then, rub the turkey skin all over with 2 T. soft butter. Place turkey breast up on a rack in roasting pan. Dip a large (big enough to cover the turkey) double thickness of washed cheesecloth in oil or melted lard and drape it over the bird. There are no amounts given for the oil/melted lard other than, "a pan of cooking oil or melted lard, for basting". Roast in a preheated 325 degree oven, lifting cheesecloth and basting every 30 min. or so, first with oil or fat in pan, then with the accumulated pan drippings.
It seems to me that if you start with a turkey that has been thoroughly covered with butter, and then the cheesecloth, and you lift the cloth to baste the bird--the cheesecloth shouldn't stick. I could see it sticking if you baste the bird with the cheesecloth on it--the lovely brown drippings would likely stick the cloth to the bird.

 

[Scurvy]

I've cooked turkeys with cheesecloth on them several times. I basted on top of the cheesecloth. I'm not a great cook. I'm okay, but I get nervous about things turning out and I'm just generally not comfortable cooking anything complicated. I make great turkeys, though! The skin was golden brown and crispy and the meat was perfectly moist. The cheesecloth didn't really stick. I've had such good luck cooking them that way, I don't even plan to attempt doing it any other way.

ETA - I basically did what was described in the previous post. I thoroughly coated the bird with butter before draping the cheesecloth (which had been dipped in melted butter) over it and then just basted with a combination of the drippings and more melted butter. I did have to pull the cloth off because it clung to the skin a little bit, but it came loose easily and didn't pull any of the skin with it when it came off.

 

[LukenDC]

I have used Martha Stewart's recipe using cheesecloth saturated in white wine and butter. I tried it a couple of times and cannot detect any enhanced flavor or appearance. I recommend brining the turkey and slow baking it at 300 degrees.

 

[karensi]

Thanks again everyone. I think I will try using the cheese cloth this year. Tha tin foil always seem to fall away and not stay in place, especially after you've taken the turkey out of the oven a few times to baste it.
Well it will be something new to try anyway.

Thanks again. So much help and information. I love my Dis friends!

Karen

 

[shells4]

We have used cheesecloth several times on turkeys and they have all turned out beautifully. Salt, pepper, and tie up your turkey like normal. Melt one stick of butter and soak the cheesecloth in the melted butter. Place the soaked cheesecloth on top of the turkey, put in the oven, and ignore it until it is finished cooking. With melted butter you don't have to baste and it is a lovely golden brown. Easiest turkey ever.

 

[tvguy]

Never covered a turkey with cheesecloth, but my mom has always put the stuffing in cheesecloth before putting it in the bird. Sure makes it easier to get the stuff out afterwards.

 

[karensi]

Never covered a turkey with cheesecloth, but my mom has always put the stuffing in cheesecloth before putting it in the bird. Sure makes it easier to get the stuff out afterwards.

Hmmmm, another good idea for using the cheesecloth.


Karen

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I tried it one year after watching a cooking show -

the darn thing stuck! it was such a mess!

I learned, and love Butterball turkey line!
http://www.butterball.com/contact-us

I read so much about brining a turkey, we brined one year, only to find out most turkeys are "pre brined" (read the fine print, if it has a 3-5% solution added, its pre-brined!)

the butterball turkey line has been doing this for years, and has great suggestions, recipes.. etc

good luck!

We've tried it a couple of times too, one a Butterball, one not, and both times it stuck! Also, it didn't seem to make a difference vs non cheese cloth.

Fwiw, we don't use foil either, the roaster (or whatever the pan thing is called, lol) has a lid so we've used that when not using the cheesecloth.

 

[shortbun]

We have used cheesecloth several times on turkeys and they have all turned out beautifully. Salt, pepper, and tie up your turkey like normal. Melt one stick of butter and soak the cheesecloth in the melted butter. Place the soaked cheesecloth on top of the turkey, put in the oven, and ignore it until it is finished cooking. With melted butter you don't have to baste and it is a lovely golden brown. Easiest turkey ever.

Yeah, I saw Michael Symon on the Chew do it this way. No basting. I'm sure the process is on The Chew website.

 

[scbelleatheart]

Thas how my Mom did it. She took off the cheesecloth several times and dipped it in melted butter. Saying that, my Mom cannot cook but her turkey always was great according to eveyone. It looked nice! ( but I do not eat turkey so I would not know Yuk!!!)

 

[gottaluvPluto]

My best turkeys have been the ones with cheese cloth. I butter the entire bird, salt, pepper. Then I soak the cheese cloth in white wine and butter for 30 min. I place the cheese cloth on the turkey. With one oven I had to bast the turkey one time. With my other ovens I never had to bast the turkey with the cheese cloth. So if this is your first time with cheese cloth just keep an eye on it, because the oven might be picky.

Just wanted to add, I never had a problem with the cheese cloth sticking. Maybe the cheese cloth was not dripping wet when they placed it on the bird.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

We did at my brothers house, and it stuck as well. We are both good cooks and I would not do it again.

 

[NotUrsula]

I really can't imagine why you would need to baste a bird that has been covered in an oil product.

I've been roasting turkeys for over 20 years now, and I have never basted one in my life. I don't use butter. I use a 1/2 cup of canola oil. I stuff the bird and truss it with the wings flipped back under the neck opening, pat it dry with paper towels, and then pour the oil into my hands and rub the entire bird down thoroughly with it.

If the breast skin is browning too much too soon, I do tent it in foil. If your foil won't stay on, then you are not using a large enough piece of foil.
The trick to the foil is to tear off a piece about five feet long, fold it in half lengthwise, then narrowly double-fold over the center seam twice, so that it forms a stiff spine. Then center the spine over the breast and crimp the narrow edges on the side of the roasting pan, leaving the ends open.

 

[karensi]

OP here. So I bought the cheese cloth and I will roast it with the cheese cloth (for the first time) this year. Have to admit, after reading through these posts, Im alittle afraid of it sticking,even though I know some of you didnt have that problem it seems hit or miss. So I will baste every haalf hour or so and will lift the cheese cloth as I baste.

Also wanted to add that I read on another post that you can let the turkey "rest" before slicing it and also keep it warm for serving by covering it with a bath towel. I will be doing that also as I have to transport my turkey to my DD's house after it is cooked.

Once again, thank you to all my Dis friends,

Karen