How big of a turkey

badgerhowlin

Hi,

A few weeks back i thought it would be a good idea to invite the Families to the house for Christmas. That was before i started to count.
Last count was 25(23 adults and two 11 month olds).:eek:

Can some one tell me what i was thinking!!!!!
But its too late now to back out, so on i must cook.

Now i read some where that you should give 1lb of turkey per person so that 23lb turkey i need. Should i get one 23lb or two 12lb ones?

How big of a HAM should i get.

Most the rest of the trimming, Spuds, roast Spuds, potato croquettes, Carrots, brussel sprouts, will be cooked onsite too. Some might be off site but not much.

xzanti

Bare in mind that 23lb of a bird doesn't mean 23lbs of meat that's still a lot of bone and fat..

I would get 3 good sized birds if I were you.. Also find out who will eat dark meat, if there are very few who'll eat the legs/wings, I'd opt for turkey crowns, cuts out a lot of the carnage afterwards

Seriously though, What were you thinking?

Good luck with it..

badgerhowlin

xzanti wrote: »

Also find out who will eat dark meat, if there are very few who'll eat the legs/wings, I'd opt for turkey crowns, cuts out a lot of the carnage afterwards

They will EAT what they are given and like it!!!!!

Skill Magill

No need to worry about cooking, go to a carvery on christmas eve and plate up 23 dinners, lash into the boot, and whip them out on Christmas day qed

Park Royal

With such a group to cater for I would go for as big a Turkey as I could

handle also the biggest Ham....or

if you can manage two twelves go for it......

I would be aiming for between 4 to 6 ozs of Turkey and ham per person.....

with seconds for the greedy guts ...hence need for two Turkeys .....

any left overs will surely go afterwards ...nibbled away by such a host of

people......

The person doing the carving would need to know what there at and what is required to go on each plate ie between 4 to 6 ozs of both Turkey and Ham...
ie 8 to 12 ozs max per person total. A rogue carver could make all the calculations go out the door......make sure they have a good sharp carving knife .....

With all the trimmings most will leave a lot on the plate anyway........
just make sure you have everything ready as much as possible in advance and offer seconds to shut them up as regards not getting enough......dont forget to put plenty of stuffing on each plate also......Paxo is good enough.....packets of the stuff.....;)

DAZP93

Time to wipe the dust of the Denby and start polishing the silverware

moihugs

Best of luck with this but with a lot of preparation ull be fine, Big pot of homemade soup made the day before, roast potatoes ready for oven all veg prepared... !! Ive done this before have to admit went to a fab deli beside us.. got a fab honey roast ham sliced thickly by them and got them make my stuffing!! Left life a lot easier for me.. just the turkey get ready ..have ur pudding ready in plenty of time and BUY something else for the ones who dont eat it!!

carolinespring

Having in the past cooked for massive groups I would go for boned and rolled turkey breasts. Far easier than cooking a number of turkeys and will fit into the oven with less hassle. A good butcher will be able to guide you on the size to go for but I would always order extra, better looking at than for!! Plus with the boned and rolled you will have no waste.

What about doing Nigella's ham in cook. The ham can be cooked the day before just slap the glaze on and pop in the oven for 45 minutes on Christmas day after you have taken the turkey out.

Make your stuffing now and freeze in tinfoil rolls of trays, you just have to pop into the oven along with the roast spuds and parsnips.

Have all the trimming like bacon rolls ready to go in the oven in foil trays and that will cut down on the dreaded washing up after dinner.

jap gt

get 2 14lb boned and rolled turkey crowns, all breast meat, no waste with carcass and wont take up as much room in the oven

then get a full ham boned and rolled aswell plenty cutting in a ham

Posy

What does 'rolled' mean?

jap gt

Posy wrote: »

What does 'rolled' mean?

when u cut away the carcass from the turkey, all the meat is rolled together and tied with string or placed in a net to keep it together

fishy fishy

definitely go the boned and rolled turkey for that man people. No waste, no hassle, no carving and pulling off of legs. Just straight slices of lovely lean turkey, with no hassle.

I find large turkeys to be in the oven for so long they are bone dry when they are cooked. Smaller turkeys are better for cooking (10 to 14 lbs).

Go the boned and rolled - save yourself some hassle.

fishy fishy

if you don't like the boned and rolled idea, then go for turkey crown (the turkey without the legs and wings). All white mean, nice and clean, no waste and is in the "shape" of a turkey. Do two of these.

the ham is easy, you can even cook that the day before.

badgerhowlin

Boned and rolled Turkey :mad: WHAT no carcass for the dogs, that wouldnt do. Its christmas for them too!!!!

Miight have one boned and rolled (14lb), but maybe its just me but it doesnt taste the same.
I like the legs, so with a what 17-20lb turkey it will have some legs for me. unless the father-in-Law gets at the bird before i do.

leahyl

badgerhowlin wrote: »

Boned and rolled Turkey :mad: WHAT no carcass for the dogs, that wouldnt do. Its christmas for them too!!!!

Miight have one boned and rolled (14lb), but maybe its just me but it doesnt taste the same.
I like the legs, so with a what 17-20lb turkey it will have some legs for me. unless the father-in-Law gets at the bird before i do.

I agree - there's not the same flavour from the juices as there would be from a full turkey - In my opinion anyway. The flavour from a full turkey is just divine.

Calibos

Maybe we are savages in my house but I actually just came across a note about what we got last year. 18lb ham and 24lb Turkey. Thats for 8 adults but does us Stephens' Day too. We tried boned and rolled one year and it was a disaster. I was much younger at the time so can't remember the details but do remember we said never again.

fishy fishy

i remember a plunker that I knew in the States that had about six people over ffor Thanksgiving dinner (which I think is tomorrow this year). They bought a 36 lb turkey - greedy things - anyway it would fit in the oven. 36lb turkey - who on earth would buy that Disgusting.

fishy fishy

Calibos wrote: »

Maybe we are savages in my house but I actually just came across a note about what we got last year. 18lb ham and 24lb Turkey. Thats for 8 adults but does us Stephens' Day too. We tried boned and rolled one year and it was a disaster. I was much younger at the time so can't remember the details but do remember we said never again.

42 pounds of meat for two days for 8 adults.
that would be nearly 3 pounds of meat per person per day.

lemme ask...... would you eat 3 pounds of mincemeat each in your bolognaise.

miss no stars

badgerhowlin wrote: »

Boned and rolled Turkey :mad: WHAT no carcass for the dogs, that wouldnt do. Its christmas for them too!!!!

Miight have one boned and rolled (14lb), but maybe its just me but it doesnt taste the same.
I like the legs, so with a what 17-20lb turkey it will have some legs for me. unless the father-in-Law gets at the bird before i do.

Dogs aren't supposed to have turkey if it's been in contact with onion (stuffing). They also aren't supposed to have the skin or bones at all so they aren't missing out at all.

Aside from that, a 17-20lb bird will be dry when it comes out of the oven, maybe get the bigger boned and rolled and a smaller real one (or one small real, two small boned and rolled) so that all the meat is nice and moist and tender? We had a 14lb full bird last year, did 8 adult dinners easily. Also, if you can try and get black turkey it's meatier on the breast and will go farther for the same weight.

havetoquit

Gosh! you really did take on something there, but hey, you have got lots of tips now to choose from to help you. If you can afford it, highly recommend that you buy free range to get the best flavor and am sure you want the best for your family if possible. You would be surprised the difference in flavor you will get from dressing the turkey well. Drape it with good quality streaky bacon and Chipolatas and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

If your turkey is cooked correctly following directions and the oven door not opened any more than essential, there is no reason at all why it should not be succulent, especially if you leave it to stand for the recommended time after taking it out of the oven ( covered with tinfoil) and standing it on a trivet or deep plate. This gives you time then to mix up the remaining turkey juices with your flower and a drop of wine to make a delicious gravy, far far superior to nasty dried granules! Yuck. Do that on the hob and then keep stirring until serving, or get someone to do this little job for you while you are dishing out the heated plates etc etc.

Husbands love to be given the honor of carving the big bird at the head of the table. I usually add the already sliced ham and pass the plates along for everyone to help themselves to food from the hot serving dishes. I only dish up if we are a number fewer than 6, as it takes too long and food gets cold. When they all serve themselves to veg, it means that generally you all eat at the same time, pull your crackers, make a toast etc, but if you serve everything, the first people served are either finished eating or their food is cold before you sit down.

As others have suggested, much of the meal can be prepared in advance. With regards to portions, there is little need to dish out the huge amount of turkey as mentioned in your first post! Nice thinly sliced turkey and ham, self served glazed carrots and brussels, chipolata, little balls of stuffing, roast potatoes and small servings of mash. This is one day, when I think that because there will be such a variety of vegetable and other additions to the meal, that there will be no necessity for even the heartiest of eaters to need mountains of any particular food.

In the event that you may want to serve a soup starter, then yipee! your dinner portions will definitely not need to be big.

Making the stuffing is much much cheaper and more flavorsome that the rather synthetic tasting dried packs. Some butchers will have home made stuffing ready to go in the oven. Otherwise, believe me there are some brilliant simple recipes on line.

With regard to you hosting all those people, I am sure that one if not more of your family will offer way ahead of time to bring along their own contribution to the meal, such as desserts, home made stuffing, or even a cooked glazed ham which just needs slicing.

There are also wonderful cookery sites that take you right through everything required for catering for large numbers, from the shopping list to the actual cooking, timing etc.

You will find it easier before guests arrive to have a nice mulled wine or punchbowl at the ready for them to help themselves and leave you free to enjoy a pre dinner glass with them rather than tearing around serving them all with individual drinks.

I also make up a couple of jugs of non-alcoholic fresh juices fizzed up with sparkling water and decorated in sliced lemons, kiwis and sprigs of fresh mint and loads of ice cubes to stir up just before they arrive.

I hope your dinner is a great success and that you can delegate after dinner and let others do something whilst you enjoy well deserved feet up time, just before the games begin! Charades will be great gas with so many people. Have a ball and let us know if you need any more tips.

paddy147

Heres a big turkey.........:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r1akLZkVe4

2 stroke

With 23 adults, you will have quite a few that look foward to leg for christmas dinner. I usualy pick up a bag of drumsticks at the butchers, he is always glad to get rid of them with so many customers looking for just white meat. Maybe 2 crowns, a dozen drumsticks plus ham & trimmings.

tayto lover

Buy a cooked turkey and ham from your butcher and cook the vegetables and stuffing yourself. Collect the meat from butcher on xmas eve. Job is oxo.
Say nothing and take all the plaudits.

xzanti

tayto lover wrote: »

Buy a cooked turkey and ham from your butcher and cook the vegetables and stuffing yourself. Collect the meat from butcher on xmas eve. Job is oxo.
Say nothing and take all the plaudits.

Do all Butchers' do this? How much extra do they charge for the cooking?

Gbear

Get tinfoil roasting trays. With that much cooking it'll be nice to throw away the dishes rather than wash them.

tayto lover

xzanti wrote: »

Do all Butchers' do this? How much extra do they charge for the cooking?

A few years ago when the other half was ill we got a large cooked turkey, ham, stuffing etc. It was about 100e if I remember correctly but if you contact this butchers who have many branches they will qoute you for any size of event.
http://www.mcardlemeats.com/index.php?contentid=bbq-time

havetoquit

I really would not recommend that she collects bought turkey, as after all the aromas from the cooking bird floating around the kitchen as the guests arrive is what Christmas is all about. It would be a shame to do that and could spoil her day, as am sure it would be noticed.

At the end of the day, she only needs to get organized, time things and there is no reason why it can't work out.

I am also sure that some family members will offer to bring along desserts, help out a little on the day and so on.

Cooking turkey, veg near end of cooking, watches food whilst guests helps themselves to mulled wine. Someone carves bird, someone stands beside and passes plates along, veg is in bowls placed along table for self service, as with gravy/sauce.

I can already see everyone having a wonderful day and helping her out. If they are the kind who sit and wait to be served all day long, then she will just have to delegate and get them off their bottoms!!

havetoquit

For most families the fun of Christmas dinner is the preparing with one or two good helpers and if this happens there is absolutely no need for stress, pre-cooked birds that need heating and so on.

Even the table can be done the night before, as can a punch or mulled wine, the veg, deserts and so on.

The Turkey can be dressed early morning and Bob's your uncle. The most valuable thing that day is a timer for the food and that is basically it.

I think that it will be a great day all round if the most responsible and able bodied guests do their bit too. It is surely not the case that this hostess has to do everything from start to finish alone? That would be just not nice and enough to put her off her own dinner!

I am sure that she is a well organized lady who knows how to get her helpers on the case.

I think the days are gone when one sole lady stood alone for hours on end in a boiling kitchen and then reappeared trying her best to smile lugging a great big turkey to the table, plates piled a mile high with steaming veg etc while the guests all sat looking up at her with admiration.....not!

amen

At the end of the day, she only needs to get organized, time things and there is no reason why it can't work out.

Is the OP a lady ? I don't think it was specified. Man can and do cook the dinner at Christmas (and even at other times of the year).

If you get a big turkey or even two make sure there is sufficient room in your oven and that the air will circulate correctly.

I always use the magic turkey bags. They help keep all the juices in. Follow the cooking instructions on the bag and you should have a nice juicy bird. (I've cooked 22lb birds and they have been very juicy). You do need to let the turkey sit for 15-20 mins when cooked to let the juices soak back into the meat.

If you are getting a full ham ask the butcher to cut in half and cook in two pots. This can reduce the cooking time by half.

Paxo stuffing for christmas ? Get some bread crumbs (or make your own), some sausage meat (from a butchers) and onion. Mix together and stuff the turkey cavity. Yummy. You need about 2lbs of sausage meat for a 20lb bird.

Make sure you weigh the turkey after it is stuffed and ready to go in the overn.

As for the vegs have them a prepared the night before but store over night in water. If you have a steamer wrap the veg in tinfoil by vegetable group and place in the steamer. Quick handy way to cook the veg.

Cranberry sauce. Buy some cranberries (Ocean Spray) , some sugar and make your own. Takes about 15 misn to make and about 3-4 hours to set so maybe make the day before.

Have some bread in. Nothing like a turkey and ham sambo around 8:30pm on Christmas night.

Have some curry sauce and you can have curried turkey the next day. Parsley sauce for the ham.

As long as you stored the cooked turkey/ham in the fridge they should last a week.

havetoquit

All brilliant advice, but as we are not getting any feedback from the person who requested it, we don't know if it has helped them.

All aspects of this forthcoming Christmas dinner seem to have been covered, apart from pulling the crackers now, so hope that our little tips have been useful in helping to allay any concerns the poster may have.

I wish you a successful Christmas dinner with your family and friends and perhaps at some point you could let us know if our suggestions have been any help to you, or indeed if you need any more.

badgerhowlin

I have not been on line for a while so thats why you are not getting any feed back!

Eveything here is very helpfull.

I am a MAN, my wife would not even think about doing something this big. She is hard set cook at the best of times hence why im cooking.
And besides I love cooking.

I will have no lack of people offering to help cook this and cook that, but this is something that i want to make my self. From start to finish or as much as i can anyway, but with been off work from 21st i should be able to get every thing ready on time...

Tukey bags i think will come in very handy. Never used them before but i only hear good things so might stick one of the turkeys in to it and see how it comes out.