Today’s words: oven, explosion, “for the record”
For the record, I wanted it known I had never before cooked a turkey. It was a risk I knew and what made it even for dicey was my dislike for turkey.
We had an American friend staying over who had mentioned how much he missed Thanksgiving and so we thought to ease his burden and homesickness we’d at least make an effort.
It’s not a celebration in my country though we have plenty to be thankful for. Sun, surf and sand being three that spring to mind.
It was easy to buy a frozen turkey at the local supermarket, and I read up on how best to cook it. Once I had it ready, I realised how big a bird it was and then found it just fitted into the oven.
Our friend from across the pond suggested a few things that were part of his tradition, and we made an effort to secure them for him. After all, why do things half arsed I said to my house companion.
As always when there was food being prepared at our place, there was a bottle of wine opened, and we enjoyed sharing it and commenting on how good it was, even when it was only okay, as we could never afford the really good stuff.
After a few glasses, we lost track of the time. There was an almighty explosion from within the oven and something I had never before witnessed occurred.
The turkey by now pretty well done had blown apart, and bits were stuck on the door and every other difficult place to clean.
I didn’t think it was possible for that to happen and I reminded everyone, just for the record, that this was now my one and only time baking a turkey for any occasion.
We stood around looking at the state of the oven and more so the state of the turkey which was by now looking less desirous as a meal. In it’s exploded state the only solution seemed to open another bottle of the best we could afford.
Written for: https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2018/11/22/daily-writing-challenge-nov-22/
Morpethroad 
When I was about 12 or 13, I was charged with cooking our turkey for the first time. Mind you, I had seen my mother and grandmother cook it…well, cook it after it was out of the package and stuff. I knew there was the neck and giblets in the cavity and unwantingly removed them, but I didn’t know about the other packet of innards stuffed into the neck cavity. Put the bird in and cooked it. The packet exploded all over the oven and the bird was raw by the bone. I don’t think we had a turkey since then until I was an adult.
A browning bag is the perfect way to roast a turkey with no mess!
I did what my Mum always did with the turkey and cooked it overnight on a pretty low heat, thus leaving the oven free for everything else next day. The last whole turkey I cooked was many years ago and it had chased me down the aisle in the supermarket. I should add that Hubby had held it aloft from the freezer department after selection. It made all the other shoppers smile anyway.
Sorry about the turkey. Its the thought that counts…
Yes there is that isn’t there?
Shame about the turkey. I must admit, the only time I’ve known food to explode in the cooking has been in a microwave. I have the world’s gold medal for exploding food there 🙂
Yes I’ve seen a few terrible ‘cooking’ events myself.