Turkey with the stuffing in the Egg?

Unknown

Has anyone done a Turkey with the stuffing in the bird on the egg? any ideas?
and does a frozen Turkey cook any different than a Fresh? what do most of you prefer? Thanks everyone,[p] David

Citizen Q

Dave in Spring Hill Fl,
I've done it stuffed and the stuffing comes out pretty nasty, now we do the stuffing in the oven in a cake pan laying turkey wings over the top for flavor.[p]Frozen turkeys tend to overcook on the outside before the inside thaws out, so you're better off thawing it before you cook it. Other than that, as long as it's been handled properly and it's not old or freezer burnt, there isn't much difference. I prefer fresh just because I'm a snob about these things. [p]Alot of people here have stuffed their birds loosely with slices of citrus fruit and apples, reporting excellent results. I haven't yet, but plan to try it out soon.[p]Cheers,
C~Q

Wise One

Dave in Spring Hill Fl, if you want your stuffing inside the turkey, precook it inside before stuffing the turkey. You'll still get the good flavors in the stuffing and it may be messy but at least it will be cooked.

Rumrunner

Wise One, every year there are scores of people that get sick after Thanksgiving due to mishandling of the stuffing. Almost all are contibuted to "24 hour stomache FLU" :([p]I like to cook mine outside the turkey, too.

BigT

Dave in Spring Hill Fl,[p]My father always smoked the stuffing inside the bird on his water smoker. While nobody ever got sick, I am going to cook the bird in the BGE and the stuffing in the water smoker this year.[p]hth [p]Big T

Nessmuk

Rumrunner,
For years we cooked the bird stuffed in the oven. When I began smoking, I selected the Spanek vertical tower. The wife prepares gravy & stuffing separately in the kitchen.[p]We do not save nor use any drippings.[p]If I were to cook a bird horizontally, I would fill the cavity with veggies, onions & fruit. I would disgard these items after the bird was cooked.[p]

Unknown

Dave in Spring Hill Fl,
I have never liked stuffing in the bird. Here in the heart of Dixie, South Carolina, we call it dressing, made with good home made cornbread. If you like oysters, they are killer in dressing. As far as the frozen vs. the fresh, I have been burned twice with the fresh turkey. Two different times with the fresh turkey being bought a couple of days before cooking,when I opened the bag they were spoiled and the date on the turkey was ok . Boy that is one that will P you off. I believe the frozen turkey is the safe way to go. They are frozen soon after processing and don't have a chance to spoil. I take mine out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator for three days before cooking . It will be totally thawed by then. [p]Jerry

Rumrunner

Nessmuk, cooking the stuffing inside the bird is fine, as long as the stuffing is fully cooked (180°), the left overs properly handled (refrigerate after 2-3 hours and thrown out after 2 days. This method is not written in stone, it's just "my" way of handling a delicate situation)[p]I agree...who wants stuffing or veggies after turkey blood/yuckies has been dripping through it

mad max beyond eggdome

Dave in Spring Hill Fl,
while putting the stuffing in the bird may add to the flavor of the stuffing (abosbing some fo the turkey juices), conversely the stuffing does nothing for the turkey in my opinion. . .i'd rather stuff the cavity with herbs/apples/lemon/onion .... this adds to the flavor of both the turkey, and the drippings which ultimately adds to the flavor of the gravy, which then adds to the flavor of both the served turkey and the stuffing. . .if you make good turkey broth with the turkey innards, and that add some of that to the dressing, then i think you've achieved everything you would want. ..

The Naked Whiz

Dave in Spring Hill Fl,
Just to add to what everyone else already said, Alton Brown has pointed out that it makes the turkey take longer to cook and the stuffing is Club Med for bacteria. If AB said it, I usually believe it...
TNW