texman Posted November 22, 2010 Report Posted November 22, 2010 I have my gen 2.2 hopefully arriving tomorrow and would like to try a roti turkey for Thanksgiving. What is the largest bird that can be fit into the 8" basket and what is the best way of cooking it? Thanks in advance.
Sanny Posted November 22, 2010 Report Posted November 22, 2010 Re: Largest turkey for the roti Wow! You're brave, Tex, to have one of your first cooks be a Holiday Showcook! Not to say that your magnificent cooker cannot handle it - sure it can. I can't answer your question, but I'll cheer for you! I did a turkey one year (no roti) and it turned out great. I recommend you brine the bird. Makes all the difference in the world. Do a search on this board or out in the world for Mad Max (or Maxx - not sure). That's a great brine recipe.
Syzygies Posted November 22, 2010 Report Posted November 22, 2010 Split it in half? We have a preference for spatchcocking over rotisserie, for all poultry. But we haven't tried turkey both ways. Our spatchcocked 14 lb turkey took two hours at 350 F indirect. Without practicing a method, timing is the biggest variable. If it doesn't fit, split it into two half birds? (I've seen turkeys at market this year that wouldn't fit in an airline seat in coach, nevermind an 8" rotisserie basket.)
mguerra Posted November 22, 2010 Report Posted November 22, 2010 Re: Largest turkey for the roti Here's a quick summary of some turkey info. Brine the bird: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/turkey6.html ONLY brine a turkey that does NOT have"enhanced with a solution of..." on the label, those are basically prebrined anyway. A good brining vessel is a cooler or Igloo type drinking jug. Ice the breast with cold packs before cooking since by the time the dark meat is finished the breast will be overdone and dried out if you don't.. Per Alton, don't put stuffing in the bird because it extends the cooking time drying out the breast even more, and harbors bacteria. Instead, put some apple, onion and a cinnamon stick in there to enhance moisture and add flavor. There are numerous recommendations for cooking temps and finish temps, they contradict. One way is to cook at 350 til the thigh joint hits 180. Alton sticks a probe in the breast and pulls the bird when that probe hits 161. After you scour the internet for tips, you just have to pick a method. Check out last years thread, "Thansgiving 2009" Good luck, it's hard to screw it up on a KK!
Sanny Posted November 22, 2010 Report Posted November 22, 2010 Re: Largest turkey for the roti Speaking of Mad Max, our Whizzy (The Naked Whiz) has posted the Mad Max stuff on his website for all the Thanksgiving gladiators. http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramic.htm
DennisLinkletter Posted November 23, 2010 Report Posted November 23, 2010 Re: Largest turkey for the roti I'm told this is a 16-17lb Turkey.. And it looks like there is still plenty of space for more birdy. :| n66664
