" Posted by lindac --I big cold turkey in a pot of hot water is a good way to keep the meat at just the proper temperature for bacteria growth. Much better to put it directly into the oven. " This topic of cause can lead to an endless heated discussion. Still, let me give it a try. What first gave me the reasons to try to find a way that led me to use my method: 1. A frozen 20-lb turkey will take five to six days to thaw in the frig, and there is never room in a freezer to keep a turkey. We all know how much other stuff you have to get for the Thanksgiving dinner in the refrigerator. 2. A turkey from the frig directly to oven, takes too long to cook to reach safe temperature all the way deep inside, and by that time, the meat outside, thatÂs more than half of the turkey, is very overdone, tough and dry. Or worst, the inside meat is still bloody when you are serving to your friends and family. Please understand that I am not recommending to anyone to be unsafe. The many cities I have traveled to outside of this country, including Argentina (meat capital of the world) and recently to Paris, it is not unusual for meats to be sold without refrigeration for the whole day. Pathogens can grow in the refrigerator temperature as well. Generally, it is considered unsafe for temperature to be from 41 to 140 degrees (I think, please check for accuracy). The other important factor is time. Given it enough time, anything can go bad. That why it doesnÂt take long for meats to go bad in a frig. I hate to think what is going on in an uncooked turkey for more than six days in a frig. Here is what I have been doing for more than ten years. Reserve in advance a turkey from the supermarket. Pickup the frozen turkey on Thanksgiving day. Prepare hot water to about 120 degrees. Dump frozen turkey with its plastic bag in hot water, and keep water temperature at about 120 to 130 degrees. I donÂt know if this is absolute correct, I never timed it. Depending on how big and how frozen the turkey is, about an hour later, the whole turkey is completely warmed up ready for seasoning and stuffing. Because the turkey is hot (but not cooked) at this time, it does not take long in the oven for the temperature to reach 165 deep inside without overcooking the outside. Just simple law of thermal dynamics. The entire process gives very little time and opportunity for harmful pathogens to multiply. I advice you not to use my method. It is unorthodox. Go cold turkey. :-) dcarch

I have to laugh in reading their information. I think it will probably cook a turkey alright, but I don't think it will do a better job than many other normal cooking methods. It has nothing to do with frying a turkey, which is a different recipe altogether. There is no such thing as "infrared" technology. Your regular oven, toaster, roaster all cook with infrared. Nothing is new there. It is very wrong to say that infrared ray penetrates. It does not. Infrared stops when it hits a surface. X-ray penetrates, and microwave penetrates. Forget it, 8-10 minutes per pound is questionable. Sounds good , but works out not that much better than the normal way. 16 lb comes to 160 minutes, that is more than 2 1/2 hours. The Big Easy is big just to cook a 16 lb-turkey, and then it is not "Easy" there is that big LP tank to go with it. I don't see any safety interlock/consideration. If you turn on the gas and don't light it up quickly, as you know, LP gas mixed with air and ignited can make a spectacular explosion. Cheaper? 21,622 btu per pound of propane, you have about 11 lbs in a tank, the Big Easy burns at 16,000 BTU. Imagine cooking a big turkey in a Big Easy, if it uses up you big tank of gas half way cooking, you will be in big trouble. dcarch

I'd be careful about putting cloth or parchment over the turkey in this oven as it uses the broiler to sear. After would be ok. My choice would be cooking parchment. Chinchette, you shouldn't need to tent it while in the oven -- in theory at least. The breast skin can get very dark and crisp but there's stuffing under there and it gets nice and crackly. When it comes out, I let it rest so it's easier to slice and stays hot. I'd put some cooking parchment over and and a couple of dishtowels on that to hold in the heat. Also, forgot to mention. Before I bought the oven I had a long talk with the Miele consumer people who emphasized that when you open this oven it loses 30% of the heat. I see people open an oven, baste leisurely, then wonder why the turkey takes so long. Big bonus to no-basting.

I've only done parts in my Gaggenau combi-steam. They came out fantastic, but I can't remember doing anything special. I think I just used the same temperature as for chicken (360° F., 20 min. per pound, 60% steam). Whether I'm doing a butterflied whole chicken or a quarter of a turkey, my theory is suntan lotion, seasoning, steam. That is, some kind of sauce, dressing or oil with a little sugar in it for the crisp skin, S&P and/or herbs and spices, and if not the steam oven, then some wine or broth in the pan to steam with. With the combi-steam, just put it in the solid pan and put it in. It's helps if it comes to room temperature first, however, so there isn't as much condensation. While I was offhand about the flavors, above, I do match them together!