Whenever you are talking turkey with people, you are probably going to find that one person that is convinced the turkey must be basted. So if this is true, what does basting a turkey accomplish? Nothing that is good. Basting a turkey is a great way to ensure your skin will not be crisp. Now someone may agrue that it adds flavor. However you can flavor the skin yourself by adding salt, pepper, herbs, or any other seasoning. And you can do this without having to re-open the oven door. Opening the oven door over and over again is like trying to dry your hair after a shower and every few minutes you squirt your hair down with more water. It slows the process down which leads for a great possibility of a dried out bird. So forget the basting, season the skin before you cook and leave that turkey alone.
Don't want to take my word for it? Check out what Alton Brown said about basting a turkey in a talk he gave at the Google headquarters.
Leave a Reply