what do you do with a dead turkey?

[kyote]

Top Turkey Secrets

from Jimmy Schmidt's Cooking Class

Only a few times a year do you cook a bird as big as the traditional roast turkey, so even a good cook doesn't get to practice. I'll show you all the insider tricks for preparing a perfect bird.

Why it tastes so good: The tender skin can be roasted to a golden crisp while the meat remains moist and fork-tender. The flavor of the bird is concentrated by the combination of initial high heat, necessary to develop the roasted flavor, and the low-temperature penetration necessary to cook the innermost regions delicately without driving out natural moisture.

Tricks of the trade: There are a number of important techniques for producing the perfect bird, but the most important is the proper cooking temperature. It is essential to preheat the oven to 425 - 475 degrees F -- the hotter the better -- and to start the turkey at this temperature for about 45 minutes.

Preparing the turkey of your dreams: Remove any parts from the cavity and use or discard them. Rinse the bird, inside and out, under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Season the cavity and truss the bird with kitchen twine for even cooking. Rub the skin with butter or olive oil.

Prepare your glaze: Combine maple syrup and a dark alcohol for the best results. The maple syrup draws the moisture from the skin and helps develop a crisp skin. The brandy, bourbon, scotch or such contains caramelized flavor profiles that enhance the roasted flavor (the alcohol is driven off during cooking).

Prepare your stuffing: Make your favorite stuffing, but I suggest you bake it in an oven-proof dish, not the bird's cavity. Filling the bird with stuffing causes irregular heat penetration; the stuffing may never get hot enough to kill bacteria, which may result in food poisoning. Cook your stuffing separately, adding any extra pan juices from the bird to the stuffing for moisture if you wish.

Roast the turkey: Start the bird at 425 - 475 degrees F for 45 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375 degrees to penetrate and cook the bird thoroughly. Baste the bird with the glaze every 20 minutes or so. Cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160 degrees and the juices run clear; the time will vary by the size of the bird. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes before carving. This allows the internal juices to stabilize.

[prairiedog555]

I shoot and eat lots of wild turkey, at least 4-5 a year.  I try, if I have a choice to shoot the jakes, give the old boys a break. 
IMHO if you try to cook it like a store bought turkey you will be disappointed.  Wild is lean and not as moist.  I filet the breast and marianate in viniger and oil with herbs and put whole on the grill cooking at moderate heat.  Or use a dry rub like for ribs.  comes out great.  My friends cut into strips and deep fry.
the legs and thighs I use for slow cooking.  Or for the legs, cut accross the bone (I use my chop saw with frozen) and slow cook like Osso Bucco, (Italian veal shanks)  Go to www.foodtv.com for recipies.

[mbh78]

I have eaten it several different ways and the best way i have found is deep fried. I cut the breast into nuggets or strips(be sure to cut the meat across the grain), dip it in egg seasoned with cajun seasoning and roll it in House Autry seafood breader and drop it in some canola oil for about 3 to 4 minutes. Enjoy.

[corbanzo]

My brother got one of those full size deep fryers for whole turkeys a couple of years ago, and that is the ticket.  It keeps it really moist, and the peanut oil he uses adds good flavor.

For wild birds, I like to go the route that adds grease and flavor.  I mix butter and a good dry rub together, and then rub it all over the turkey, then completely wrap the bird in bacon using toothpicks to hold it in place. 

If you have ever tried beer can chicken, you can do the same thing with a turkey, you can try different stuff in the can besides beer too, to change the flavor.

[prairiedog555]

Just shot a big Tom the other day.  Found a recipe for Turkey Tetranzini.  It is a casserole dish made with mushrooms, peas, asparagus and a white Roux.  I usually barbecue the breast but this one looked too tough.
Turned out pretty good. 

[corbanzo]

We do something like that with pork chops... good stuff

[IOWA DON]

Put the legs and thighs in a crock pot with mushroom soup and cook until the meat falls off the bones. Put the breast meat in a meat smoker and cover with bacon so it don't dry out. Also, put a pan of water under the turkey for moisture. Be sure the bacon is on the rib side of the breast meat and that the bacon side is on top. After its done, slice the meat and bacon up for sandwich meat. The bacon with it makes it slide down easier. My non-hunting sister-in-law who never ate any game, and was a little leery of eating wild animals, tasted my smoked turkey meat on a sandwich and decided it was great. It's about as good as any wild game gets. Below are photos of the turkey breast and my "Smok'in Tex" loaded up with deer jerky.