I saw this trick on some Food TV show. The restaurant in the piece roasts turkeys breast side down. The theory is that there is more fat on the underside so it drips through the rest of the bird self basting it.

We did one like this last week using the cooking time on the label, didn't have to touch it once and it tasted great. It also made it uh, self carving. We pulled it out of the pan and turned it breast side up on the platter and the entire thing unfolded open and pretty much parted itself out.

You want to conduct heat? Then go BACK to Sur La Table, and stick the turkey in one of their mugs.

@GitEmSteveDave: Ha ha ha

@bohemian: My mother's done that one for years. It works great!

The bit about placing it on carrots is a new one to me, though. I might try that someday.

@bohemian: I go with Alton Browns trick of brining my turkeys and turkey breasts. That and I use a probe thermo instead of the point poppy thing. They always come out great and juicy.

For interesting flavors, I bought a reusable 30cc syringe from one of our farm catalogs, and use a 14 gauge needle to inject all over. Since the needle is meant to deliver stuff under the skin, and to keep it there, I find that while harder to push stuff through than the ones you get in stores, once it's in, it stays in. When you cut the meat, you'll see these brown spots throughout the meat that is the bbq sauce I used. YUM.

Two questions:
1. What is the purpose of the carrots in that scenario?
2. Obviously I want a roasting pan that conducts heat, but I would have assumed that roasting pans would ALL be made to conduct heat. Apparently they're not. How can I tell which ones conduct heat and which ones don't?

@Magic8ball:
1) Not 100% sure, but I think the carrots are to elevate the turkey off the bottom of the pan.
2) I don't think the article is correct by attributing the slow cooking time to poor conductivity of the pan. I think that the slow cooking time was due to the fact the pan was covered. I'm pretty sure if you covered any pan even with tin foil you would significantly increase the cooking time of the turkey.

@GitEmSteveDave: To be fair, brining isn't exactly Alton Brown's trick. It's a very common method of preparing poultry and pork.

@littlejohnny: Yes, it's to elevate the turkey so that it's held up out of it's own drippings. This is part of why people often use a roasting rack - the other reason being that it allows hot air to circulate under the bird.

If you don't rotisserie it, you're not cooking it proper.

@magic8ball: Also, the carrots flavor any pan drippings which makes for some tasty gravy. I would suggest using a combo of celery and carrots though.

Years back we took a number of fresh herbs and spread them, as whole sprigs, under the skin of the turkey. When it was cooked, the skin tightened around them and the effect was both beautiful and delicious. Worth a try if you're looking for something new.

yeah having the carrots underneath is a great idea. I mean who wants soggy skin? gross. but nice aerated crispy skin mmmm...*drool*

A decent roasting pan (with cover) costs only a little more than the disposable aluminum ones. You then have a pan for following years and other foods. I always cover mine and use a meat thermometer. I take the lid off about the last hour or so and use a small amount of water on the bottom of the pan. The turkey is always perfectly tender with nice brown, crispy skin.
The carrot trick sounds good.

Why stop with carrots? As a previous poster mentioned, celery works well. You can also use onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, etc. Put a little bit of oil in so they don't burn before the drippings can keep them moist. I do this, not just because I'm too lazy to buy a rack for my rosting pan, but because it's tasty. Throw some garlic in about 30 minutes before the bird expected to be done.

And don't forget to let the bird rest for 10-15 minutes after taking it out, before you carve!