Turkey Browning Too Quickly

Asked by Wannbe. Answered on 17th December 2016

Full question

Hi! Every year I cook Nigella's brined turkey. Year one it was delicious but I have not managed to achieve the same result since. My problem is that I find the top burns and the inside isn't fully cooked. Should I cover it for the first while or lower the heat? Kind Regards, Sally Anne

Spiced and Superjuicy Roast Turkey

By Nigella

Our answer

Nigella's Spiced And Superjuicy Turkey soaks the turkey in a bath of salt and spices before it is roasted. This brining process helps to add moisture and flavour to the turkey. Before the turkey enters the oven, Nigella paints it with a mixture of butter, honey and maple syrup. This gives a rich colour to the roasted turkey.

Nigella has, in this recipe, used a heritage breed turkey and these tend to cook slightly more quickly than a standard turkey. The recommended oven temperature is 200c/400F. This is for a conventional oven and if you have a fan oven then you may need to adjust it. Your oven handbook should give guidance on this. The sugars in the honey and maple syrup may also be browning too quickly, particularly if it is an oven that uses an overhead heating element in the cooking cycle or has a strong fan. If this is happening then we would then suggest painting the turkey initially with just melted butter and then brushing over maple syrup and honey about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time. If the turkey is still browning too quickly during cooking then cover it with foil and continue cooking until it is done. For extra Christmas menu suggestions try Nigella's Christmas dinner recipe collection.